Quadruped Robots: Gait Analysis and Control

Abstract

Wheeled vehicles are limited by their inability to access rough terrains. Less than half the Earth's landmass can be accessed by wheeled vehicles. However, Quadruped Robots can make use of animal gaits and are more suited to navigating rough surfaces or uneven terrain. As the name suggests a quadruped robot aims to mimic the movements of a four-legged animal. These movements are classified as gaits. This paper describes the various quadruped structures and the motion gaits, namely the walk, trot and gallop gaits. Engineers aim to create quadruped robots capable of navigating rough terrains autonomously, a key component in achieving this is the implementation of control algorithms for navigation and control. These algorithms are discussed, and the design and implementation of a stable Matsuoka Oscillator are discussed. Simulations of the oscillator are done using an open-source MATLAB model.