Quadrupedal Locomotion With Parallel Compliance: E-Go Design, Modeling, and Control

Jiatao Ding, Perry Posthoorn, Vassil Atanassov, Fabio Boekel, Jens Kober, Cosimo Della Santina

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Abstract

To promote the research in compliant quadrupedal locomotion, especially with parallel elasticity, we present Delft E-Go, which is an easily accessible quadruped that combines the Unitree Go1 with open-source mechanical add-ons and control architecture. Implementing this novel system required a combination of technical work and scientific innovation. First, a dedicated parallel spring with adjustable rest length is designed to strengthen each actuated joint. Then, a novel 3-D dual spring-loaded inverted pendulum model is proposed to characterize the compliant locomotion dynamics, decoupling the actuation with parallel compliance. Based on this template model, trajectory optimization is employed to generate optimal explosive motion without requiring reference defined in advance. To complete the system, a torque controller with anticipatory compensation is adopted for motion tracking. Extensive hardware experiments in multiple scenarios, such as trotting across uneven terrains, efficient walking, and explosive pronking, demonstrate the system’s reliability, energy benefits of parallel compliance, and enhanced locomotion capability. Particularly, we demonstrate for the first time the controlled pronking of a quadruped with asymmetric legs.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2839-2848
Number of pages10
JournalIEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics
Volume29
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Bibliographical note

Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care
Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.

Keywords

  • Anticipatory control
  • Hip
  • Legged locomotion
  • parallel elastic actuation
  • quadrupedal robot
  • Quadrupedal robots
  • Robots
  • Springs
  • Thigh
  • Torque
  • trajectory optimization

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