Bioinspired Legged Locomotion

Bioinspired Legged Locomotion: Models, Concepts, Control and Applications explores the universe of legged robots, bringing in perspectives from engineering, biology, motion science, and medicine to provide a comprehensive overview of the field. With comprehensive coverage, each chapter brings outlines, and an abstract, introduction, new developments, and a summary.

Beginning with bio-inspired locomotion concepts, the book's editors present a thorough review of current literature that is followed by a more detailed view of bouncing, swinging, and balancing, the three fundamental sub functions of locomotion. This part is closed with a presentation of conceptual models for locomotion.

Next, the book explores bio-inspired body design, discussing the concepts of motion control, stability, efficiency, and robustness. The morphology of legged robots follows this discussion, including biped and quadruped designs.

Finally, a section on high-level control and applications discusses neuromuscular models, closing the book with examples of applications and discussions of performance, efficiency, and robustness. At the end, the editors share their perspective on the future directions of each area, presenting state-of-the-art knowledge on the subject using a structured and consistent approach that will help researchers in both academia and industry formulate a better understanding of bioinspired legged robotic locomotion and quickly apply the concepts in research or products.

• Presents state-of-the-art control approaches with biological relevance
• Provides a thorough understanding of the principles of organization of biological locomotion
• Teaches the organization of complex systems based on low-dimensional motion concepts/control
• Acts as a guideline reference for future robots/assistive devices with legged architecture
• Includes a selective bibliography on the most relevant published articles

Control/mechanical engineering, robotics, biomechanics, corporate researchers in robotics and biorobotics, biomedical engineering

1. Introduction

Maziar Sharbafi and Andre Seyfarth

Part I : Concepts

2. Fundamental sub-functions of locomotion

2.1 Stance

2.2 Leg swinging

2.3 Balancing

3. Conceptual models for locomotion

　　Justin Seipel, Matthew Kvalheim, Shai Revzen, Maziar Sharbafi and Andre Seyfarth

3.1 Conceptual models based on empirical observations

3.2 Templates and Anchors

3.3 A Simple Model of Running

3.4 Simple Models of Walking

3.5 Locomotion as an oscillator

3.6 "Model zoo" - extended conceptual models

Part II: Control

4. Control of motion and compliance

4.1 Stability and robustness

4.2 Optimal control as guiding principle of locomotion

4.3 Efficiency and compliance

4.4 Control based on passive dynamic walking

4.5 Impedance control for bioinspired robots

4.6 Template models for control

4.7 Hybrid Zero Dynamics Control of Legged Robots

4.8 Locomotion control based on central pattern generators

5. Torque control in legged locomotion

5.1 Introduction

5.2 System Overview

5.3 A Case Study with an Ankle Exoskeleton

5.4 Discussion

6. Neuromuscular control in locomotion

6.1 Introduction: Feed forward vs feedback in neural control: central pattern generators versus reflexive control

6.2 Locomotor Central Pattern Generators

6.3 Corticospinal control of human walking

6.4 Feedback control: interaction between centrally generated commands and sensory input

6.5 Neuromechanical control models

Part III: Implementation

7. Legged robots with bio-inspired morphology

　　Ioannis Poulakaki,　　Madhusudhan Venkadesan, Shreyas Mandre, Mahesh M. Bandi, Jonathan Clark and Koh Hosoda, Maarten Weckx, Bram Vanderborght and Maziar A. Sharbafi

7.1 Biological feet: Evolution, mechanics and applications

7.2 Bio-inspired leg design

7.3 Human inspired bipeds

7.4 Bioinspired Robotic Quadrupeds

8. Actuation in legged locomotion

8.1 Biological principles of actuation

8.2 From stiff to compliant actuation

8.3 Actuators in robotics as artificial muscles

9. Conclusions and outlook (How far are we from Nature?)

9.1 Robustness Versatility, Robustness and Economy

9.2 Application in daily life (Assistive systems)

9.3 Related research projects and future directions