Nonlinear Oscillator-Based Gait Generation for a Novel Aero-Terrestrial Bioinspired Robotic System

Abstract

This paper focuses on the design of a novel aero-terrestrial robotic system based on the morphology of the Hymenoptera order insects and, particularly, on a strategy based on nonlinear oscillators for the coordination of its 12 terrestrial degrees-of-freedom (DoF). The ability of this new aero-terrestrial robot to, successfully, perform the walking process is validated through numerical simulations and tests performed on an experimental platform in which the gait speed was varied from 0.04 to 0.2 m/s. Some of the most important qualities of this robotic system are a relatively simple design with only 2 DoF per leg and a versatile terrestrial locomotion with the ability to vary its speed and direction in real-time with smooth transitions. Furthermore, unlike existent similar systems, the robot is designed to initiate a flight phase in any position without adopting particular postures avoiding undesirable interferences with the walking configuration.