The Single-Track Three Legged Mobile Robot

Abstract

Unstable legged robots fall over without active stabilization, typically by repositioning the feet to maintain/regain stability of balance. This dissertation concerns the development of a Single-Track Three Legged Mobile Robot (ST3LMR) and control system. A proof-of-concept was demonstrated through digital simulation and experimentation with physical prototypes. The ST3LMR comprises a body and three articulated legs arranged in a narrow profile, one behind the other, to walk and maneuver along narrow trails and paths. The ST3LMR walks by placing successive footfalls in a generally single-track or in-line fashion. It achieves the form and function of a motorcycle but with the added benefit of legs and robotic control. That is, the feet are stationary with respect to footholds during the support period, thus eliminating the drawback of wheels, which require continuous support (especially when used in rugged terrain). By always having at least two feet on the ground, the ST3LMR is inherently stable in the pitch axis (in the forward/backward direction of motion), which allows for decoupling stability of balance control to only the roll axis (in the left/right direction).Suggested by recent developments in high-performance computing, walking robot locomotion and stabilization is considered from a new perspective, that of the Monte Carlo (MC) method. A high-speed MC simulation is used in a model-predictive control system to determine footholds that provide stability of balance. Stability of balance, maneuverability, and control is demonstrated through experimental results from physical prototypes and a simple digital simulation of an impulse response, avoidance maneuver, and leaning-into-the-turn maneuver.