Research on the Single-Leg Compliance Control Strategy of the Hexapod Robot for Collapsible Terrains

Legged robots often encounter the problem that the foot-end steps into empty spaces due to terrain collapse in complex environments such as mine tunnels and coal shafts, which in turn causes body instability. Aiming at this problem, this paper takes the hexapod robot as the research object and propo...

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Main Authors: Peng Sun, Yinwei He, Shaojiang Feng, Xianyong Dai, Hanqi Zhang, Yanbiao Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5312
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author Peng Sun
Yinwei He
Shaojiang Feng
Xianyong Dai
Hanqi Zhang
Yanbiao Li
author_facet Peng Sun
Yinwei He
Shaojiang Feng
Xianyong Dai
Hanqi Zhang
Yanbiao Li
author_sort Peng Sun
collection DOAJ
description Legged robots often encounter the problem that the foot-end steps into empty spaces due to terrain collapse in complex environments such as mine tunnels and coal shafts, which in turn causes body instability. Aiming at this problem, this paper takes the hexapod robot as the research object and proposes a multi-segmented electrically driven single-leg compliance control strategy for robots with tripod and quadrupedal gaits, to reduce the impact when the foot-end touches the ground, and thus to improve the stability of the robot. First, this paper analyzes the kinematic and dynamic models of the multi-segmented electrically driven single leg of the hexapod robot. Then, the minimum tipping angle of the fuselage is obtained based on force-angle stability margin (FASM) and used as the index to design the single-leg pit-probing control algorithm based on position impedance control and the single-leg touchdown force adjustment control algorithm based on inverse dynamics control. Finally, this paper designs a finite state machine to switch between different control strategies of the multi-segmented electrically driven single leg of the hexapod robot, and the vertical dynamic impact characteristic index is applied to evaluate the effect of single-leg impedance control. The simulation and prototype test results show that the proposed method significantly reduces the foot-end touchdown force and improves the walking stability of the hexapod robot in complex environments compared with the multi-segmented electrically driven single leg without the compliance control strategy.
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spelling doaj-art-cd87426d7fdf406ca733bcceee86205a2025-08-20T03:14:45ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-05-011510531210.3390/app15105312Research on the Single-Leg Compliance Control Strategy of the Hexapod Robot for Collapsible TerrainsPeng Sun0Yinwei He1Shaojiang Feng2Xianyong Dai3Hanqi Zhang4Yanbiao Li5College of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, ChinaCollege of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, ChinaCollege of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, ChinaCollege of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, ChinaCollege of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, ChinaCollege of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, ChinaLegged robots often encounter the problem that the foot-end steps into empty spaces due to terrain collapse in complex environments such as mine tunnels and coal shafts, which in turn causes body instability. Aiming at this problem, this paper takes the hexapod robot as the research object and proposes a multi-segmented electrically driven single-leg compliance control strategy for robots with tripod and quadrupedal gaits, to reduce the impact when the foot-end touches the ground, and thus to improve the stability of the robot. First, this paper analyzes the kinematic and dynamic models of the multi-segmented electrically driven single leg of the hexapod robot. Then, the minimum tipping angle of the fuselage is obtained based on force-angle stability margin (FASM) and used as the index to design the single-leg pit-probing control algorithm based on position impedance control and the single-leg touchdown force adjustment control algorithm based on inverse dynamics control. Finally, this paper designs a finite state machine to switch between different control strategies of the multi-segmented electrically driven single leg of the hexapod robot, and the vertical dynamic impact characteristic index is applied to evaluate the effect of single-leg impedance control. The simulation and prototype test results show that the proposed method significantly reduces the foot-end touchdown force and improves the walking stability of the hexapod robot in complex environments compared with the multi-segmented electrically driven single leg without the compliance control strategy.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5312impedance controlhexapod robotfinite state machinewalking stabilityvertical dynamics
spellingShingle Peng Sun
Yinwei He
Shaojiang Feng
Xianyong Dai
Hanqi Zhang
Yanbiao Li
Research on the Single-Leg Compliance Control Strategy of the Hexapod Robot for Collapsible Terrains
Applied Sciences
impedance control
hexapod robot
finite state machine
walking stability
vertical dynamics
title Research on the Single-Leg Compliance Control Strategy of the Hexapod Robot for Collapsible Terrains
title_full Research on the Single-Leg Compliance Control Strategy of the Hexapod Robot for Collapsible Terrains
title_fullStr Research on the Single-Leg Compliance Control Strategy of the Hexapod Robot for Collapsible Terrains
title_full_unstemmed Research on the Single-Leg Compliance Control Strategy of the Hexapod Robot for Collapsible Terrains
title_short Research on the Single-Leg Compliance Control Strategy of the Hexapod Robot for Collapsible Terrains
title_sort research on the single leg compliance control strategy of the hexapod robot for collapsible terrains
topic impedance control
hexapod robot
finite state machine
walking stability
vertical dynamics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5312
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