Finite state control of quadruped locomotion

Abstract

Previous work relating to the control of legged locomo tion systems has suggested that it might be possible to achieve stable locomotion in a machine using only on-off actuators at each joint. It has further been hypothesized that the coordination of joint motions could be accom plished by a simple finite algorithm implemented as an extremely small special-purpose digital computer. The re search reported in this paper establishes the validity of these conjectures by means of a successful experiment. A quadruped with four identical legs, each with a powered hip joint and knee joint, has been constructed and tested. The results obtained have significance both with respect to prosthetics and orthotics and with respect to the design of vehicles for off-the-road transportation.