Design of bipedal robots for energy-efficent Locomotion in variable surroundings

Prof. L. Zentner
M. Zirkel, M. Sc.

In technical bipedal robots, the adjustment of mechanical system elements, such as springs and dampers, allows the system's own dynamics to be designed so that high energy efficiency is achieved. However, adjusting the mechanical elements to one specific gait has the disadvantage that other gaits can only be performed with suboptimal efficiency. Mechanical elements that change their compliance make it possible to adjust the system to various gaits, which increases energy efficiency across different gaits, reduces control effort and increases robustness. Such mechanical elements or "compliant smart mechanics" (COSM) are compliant multistable mechanisms in combination with functional materials capable of changing their compliance without external power input. Bipedal robots using such COSM systems have never been considered in the current state of the art.

It is intended to develop a bipedal Robot for energy-efficient Locomotion in variable surroundings with different Motion-types (walking and running). The adaptability of such systems will be approached through „compliant smart mechanism“ (here COSM). These are compliant mechanisms with „smart materials“ wich combine geometric and structural features (mono respectively bistable behaviour is intended). These mechanisms will not only be considered as joints between adjacent segments but also as a connection between all extremities. The high energy-efficient fort he different motion-types and surroundings will be reached through optimal characteristic curves (Force to displacement and/or Force to speed) and the implementation of the curves the COSM.

KIT - Karlsruhe Institute of Technology: Prof. A. Fidlin; M. Sc. Y. Luo

01.09.2019 - 30.09.2022

DFG - Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft ; Project: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/416912124
DFG - reference number: ZE 714/16-1