Robot and Control Method Thereof

• US 20090005906A1
• Filed: 07/17/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tajima, Ryosuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/032 with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or sequentially lifted feet or skid B62D57/024 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a technique that makes a robot continue a stabilized walk, even when an actual movement state of the robot deviates greatly from a target movement state of the robot. The robot includes a trunk, a pair of leg links coupled with the trunk in a swingable manner, an actuator group that swings each of the leg links independently to the trunk, and a controller that controls the actuator group. The controller is programmed to control the actuator group and realize a given trajectory of the center of gravity and the trajectory of the toe of the leg link. The controller performs, in a period from the robot grounding the one leg link to grounding the other leg link swung out thereafter: updating the trajectory of the center of gravity of the robot after grounding the other leg link, determining a predetermined position for grounding the other leg link, on the basis of an updated trajectory of the center of gravity, and updating the trajectory of the toe of the other leg link till grounding the other leg link, on the basis of a determined predetermined position for grounding.

Claims

1. A robot comprising a trunk, a pair of leg links coupled with the trunk in a swingable manner, an actuator group that swings each of the leg links independently with respect to the trunk, and a controller that controls the actuator group, which walks by repeating a movement of swinging out one leg link with respect to the trunk and grounding it mutually between a pair of the leg links, wherein:

the controller is programmed to control the actuator group, when a trajectory of the center of gravity of the robot and a trajectory of a toe of the leg link are given, to realize the given trajectory of the center of gravity and the trajectory of the toe of the leg link; and

the controller performs, in a period from grounding the one leg link to grounding the other leg link swung out thereafter,

(1) updating the trajectory of the center of gravity of the robot after grounding the other leg link,

(2) determining a predetermined position for grounding the other leg link, on the basis of the updated trajectory of the center of gravity, and

(3) updating the trajectory of the toe of the other leg link till grounding the other leg link, on the basis of the determined predetermined position for grounding.

2. A robot according to claim 1, wherein a horizontal component of the trajectory of the center of gravity in a period of grounding both the leg links is given in a form of an equal velocity trajectory.

3. A method of controlling a robot comprising a trunk, a pair of leg links coupled with the trunk in a swingable manner, an actuator group that swings each of the leg links independently with respect to the trunk, and a controller that, when a trajectory of the center of gravity of the robot and a trajectory of a toe of the leg link are given, controls the actuator group so as to realize the given trajectory of the center of gravity and the trajectory of the toe, which walks by repeating a movement of swinging out one leg link with respect to the trunk and grounding it mutually between a pair of the leg links,

the method comprising the steps of, in a period from grounding the one leg link to grounding the other leg link swung out thereafter:

(1) updating the trajectory of the center of gravity of the robot after grounding the other leg link,

(2) determining a predetermined position for grounding the other leg link, on the basis of the updated trajectory of the center of gravity, and

(3) updating the trajectory of the toe of the other leg link till grounding the other leg link, on the basis of the determined predetermined position for grounding.