Table Of ContentBioinspiration and Robotics:
Walking and Climbing Robots
Bioinspiration and Robotics:
Walking and Climbing Robots
Edited by
Maki K. Habib
I-Tech
IV
Published by Advanced Robotic Systems International and I-Tech
I-Tech Education and Publishing
Vienna
Austria
Abstracting and non-profit use of the material is permitted with credit to the source. Statements and
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© 2007 I-Tech Education and Publishing
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Additional copies can be obtained from:
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First published September 2007
Printed in Croatia
A catalogue record for this book is available from the Austrian Library.
Bioinspiration and Robotics: Walking and Climbing Robots, Edited by Maki K. Habib
p. cm.
ISBN 978-3-902613-15-8
1. Walking Robots. 2. Climbing Robots. I. Maki K. Habib
V
Preface
A large number of robots have been developed, and researchers continue to design
new robots with greater capabilities to perform more challenging and comprehen-
sive tasks. Between the 60s and end of 80s, most robot applications were related to
industries and manufacturing, such as assembly, welding, painting, material han-
dling, packaging, etc. However, the state-of-the-art in micro-technology, micro-
processors, sensor technology, smart materials, signal processing and computing
technologies, information and communication technologies, navigation technol-
ogy, and the biological inspiration in developing learning and decision-making
paradigms, MEMs, etc. have raised the demand for innovative solutions targeting
new areas of potential applications. This led to breakthrough in the invention of a
new generation of robots called service robots. The new types of robots aim to
achieve high level of intelligence, functionality, modularity, flexibility, adaptabil-
ity, mobility, intractability, and efficiency to perform wide range of tasks in com-
plex and hazardous environment, and to provide and perform services of various
kinds to human users and society. Service robots are manipulative and dexterous,
and have the capability to interact with human, perform tasks autonomously,
semi-autonomously (multi modes operation), and they are portable. Crucial pre-
requisites for performing services are safety, mobility, and autonomy supported by
strong sensory perception. Wide range of applications can be covered by service
robots, such as in agriculture & harvesting, healthcare/rehabilitation, cleaning
(house, public, industry), construction, humanitarian demining, entertainment, fire
fighting, hobby/leisure, hotel/restaurant, marketing, food industry, medical, min-
ing, surveillance, inspection and maintenance, search & rescue, guides & office,
nuclear power plant, transport, refilling & refuelling, hazardous environments,
military, sporting, space, underwater, etc.
Different locomotion mechanisms have been developed to enable an intelligent ro-
bot to move flexibly and reliably across a variety of ground surfaces, such as
wheels, crawlers, legs, etc. to support crawling, rolling, walking, climbing, jump-
ing, etc. types of movement. The application fields of such locomotion mechanisms
are naturally restricted, depending on the condition of the ground. In order to have
good mobility over uneven and rough terrain a legged robot seems to be a good
solution because legged locomotion is mechanically superior to wheeled or tracked
locomotion over a variety of soil conditions and certainly superior for crossing ob-
stacles. In addition, the potential is enormous for wall and pipe climbing robots
that can work in extremely hazardous environments, such as atomic energy,
chemical compounds, high-rise buildings and large ships. The focus on developing
such robots has intensified while novel and bio-inspired solutions for complex and
very diverse applications have been anticipated by means of significant progress in
VI
this area of robotics and the supporting technologies such as, bio-inspired actua-
tors, light and strong composite smart materials, reliable adhesion mechanisms,
modular and reconfigurable structures, intelligent sensors, etc. Some wall climbing
robots are in use in industry today to clean high-rise buildings, and to perform in-
spections in dangerous environments such as storage tanks for petroleum indus-
tries and nuclear power plants. The design of a wall-climbing robot is determined
to a large extent by its intended application, operating environment and the ability
to withstand different conditions.
However, creating and controlling an intelligent legged machine that is powerful
enough, but still light enough is very difficult. Legged robots are usually slower
and have a lower load/power ratio with respect to wheeled robot. Researchers in
the filed have recognized that it is very difficult to realize mechanical design that
can keep superior energy efficiency with high number of actuators (degrees of
freedom). Beside dynamic stability and safety, autonomous walking and climbing
robots have distinct control issues that must be addressed carefully. The main
problem facing current walking and climbing robots is their demand for high
power and energy consumption, which limits mainly their autonomy. In addition,
these systems require high precision in their motions, high frequency response and
to be capable to generate in real-time gait mechanism based on natural dynamics.
In addition, navigating and avoiding obstacles in real-time and in real environment
is a challenging problem for mobile robots in general, and for legged robots in spe-
cific.
Nature has always been a source of inspiration and ideas for the robotics commu-
nity. New solutions and technologies are required and hence this book is coming
out to address and deal with the main challenges facing walking and climbing ro-
bots, and contributes with innovative solutions, designs, technologies and tech-
niques. This book reports on the state of the art research and development findings
and results. The content of the book has been structured into 5 technical research
sections with total of 30 chapters written by well recognized researchers world-
wide.
Finally, I hope the readers of this book will enjoy its reading and find it useful to
enhance their understanding about walking and climbing robots and the support-
ing technologies, and helps them to initiate new research in the field.
Editor
Maki K. Habib
Saga University, Japan
[email protected]
IX
Contents
Preface V
Legged Robots: Dynamics, Motion Control and Navigation
1. Parametrically Excited Dynamic Bipedal Walking 001
Fumihiko Asano and Zhi-Wei Luo
2. Locomotion of an Underactuated Biped Robot Using a Tail 015
Fernando Juan Berenguer and Félix Monasterio-Huelin
3. Reduced DOF Type Walking Robot Based on Closed Link Mechanism 039
Katsuhiko Inagaki
4. Posture and Vibration Control Based on Virtual Suspension Model 051
for Multi-Legged Walking Robot
Qingjiu Huang
5. Research on Hexapod Walking Bio-robot(cid:1)s Workspace and Flexibility 069
Baoling Han, Qingsheng Luo, Xiaochuan Zhao and Qiuli Wang
6. A Designing Method of the Passive Dynamic Walking Robot via 079
Analogy with Phase Locked Loop Circuits
Masatsugu Iribe and Koichi Osuka
7. Theoretical Investigations of the Control Movement of the CLAWAR 095
at Statically Unstable Regimes
Alexander Gorobtsov
8. Selection of Obstacle Avoidance Behaviors based on Visual and 107
Ultrasonic Sensors for Quadruped Robots
Kiyotaka Izumi, Ryoichi Sato, Keigo Watanabe and Maki K. Habib
Wall and Pipes Climbing Robots
9. Climbing Service Robots for Improving Safety in Building 127
Maintenance Industry
Bing L. Luk, Louis K. P. Liu and Arthur A. Collie
10. Gait Programming for Multi-Legged Robot Climbing on Walls and Ceilings 147
Jinwu Qian, Zhen Zhang and Li Ma
11. Armless Climbing and Walking in Robotics 171
Maki K. Rashid
