CONTROL DEVICE AND GAIT GENERATING DEVICE FOR BIPEDAL MOBILE ROBOT

• US 20110264264A1
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Chiaki, Kawai, Masakazu, Shirokura, Shinya, Kaneko, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,120,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/0008 Balancing devices
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40264 Human like, type robot arm

Abstract

A control device for a bipedal mobile robot generates a desired motion of a bipedal mobile robot. When causing the robot to perform a one-leg hopping operation, a desired motion of the robot is generated such that the proximal end portion of a free leg of the robot is positioned at a relatively higher level than the proximal end portion of a supporting leg thereof in the state wherein the supporting leg has landed on a floor after leaving from the floor and such that the horizontal distance between the total center-of-gravity point of the robot and the proximal end portion of the supporting leg in the aforesaid state is shorter than the horizontal distance therebetween in a state wherein the robot is standing in an upright posture.

Claims

1. A control device for a bipedal mobile robot which has two legs with the proximal end portions thereof connected to a body through the intermediary of joints and which is capable of accomplishing motions, including a one-leg hopping motion in which only one leg of the two legs leaves from a floor and then lands on the floor while the other leg is off the floor, the control device comprising:

a desired gait generating unit which generates a desired gait including at least a desired motion of the robot such that the proximal end portion of the other leg is positioned at a relatively higher level than the proximal end portion of the one leg in a state wherein the one leg has landed on the floor after leaving from the floor in the case where the robot performs the one-leg hopping motion; and

a joint control unit which controls the operation of each joint of the robot on the basis of the generated desired gait.

3. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein

the desired motion generated by the desired gait generating unit in the state wherein the one leg has landed on the floor after leaving from the floor is a desired motion that causes the total center-of-gravity point of the robot and the proximal end portion of the one leg to be vertically arranged at right above the ground contact surface of the one leg.

5. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 3, wherein

in the case where the parallel direction of the two legs in the state wherein the robot is standing in the upright posture is defined as the lateral direction of the robot, the posture of the body in the desired motion generated by the desired gait generating unit in the state wherein the one leg has landed on the floor after leaving from the floor is a posture obtained by tilting the body toward the one leg in the lateral direction of the robot from the body posture in the upright posture.

13. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein

the robot has, as the operation modes thereof, a one-leg hopping operation mode, which is a mode for carrying out the one-leg hopping motion, and an operation mode of both leg alternately leaving from/landing on a floor for the robot to travel by carrying out the leaving from/landing on a floor motion, which consists of the motion of each leg leaving from a floor and then landing on the floor, alternating between two legs, the control device further comprising:

a first determining unit which sequentially determines whether it is possible to generate the desired gait that satisfies a predetermined first condition required to continue the motion of the robot in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor while the robot is moving in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor;

a second determining unit which sequentially determines whether it is possible to generate the desired gait that satisfies a predetermined second condition required to continue the motion of the robot by changing the future operation mode of the robot from the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor to the one-leg hopping operation mode in the case where the determination result given by the first determining unit is negative; and

an operation mode determining unit which maintains the operation mode of the robot to the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor in the case where the determination result given by the first determining unit is affirmative, or determines the operation mode of the robot on the basis of the determination results given by the first determining unit and the second determining unit so as to change the future operation mode of the robot from the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor to the one-leg hopping operation mode in the case where the determination result given by the first determining unit is negative while the determination result given by the second determining unit is affirmative,

wherein the desired gait generating unit generates the desired gait such that the robot performs a motion in the determined operation mode.

14. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 13, further comprising:

a third determining unit which sequentially determines whether it is possible to generate the desired gait that satisfies a predetermined third condition required to continue the motion of the robot by changing the future operation mode of the robot from the one-leg hopping operation mode to the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor while the robot is moving in the one-leg hopping operation mode; and

a fourth determining unit which sequentially determines whether it is possible to generate the desired gait that satisfies a predetermined fourth condition required to continue the motion of the robot in the one-leg hopping operation mode in the case where the determination result given by the third determining unit is negative,

wherein the operation mode determining unit includes a unit which determines the operation mode of the robot according to the determination results of the third determining unit and the fourth determining unit such that the future operation mode of the robot is changed from the one-leg hopping operation mode to the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor in the case where the determination result given by the third determining unit is affirmative, or the future operation mode of the robot is maintained to the one-leg hopping operation mode in the case where the determination result given by the third determining unit is negative and the determination result given by the fourth determining unit is affirmative.

15. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 13, wherein

in the case where the determination result given by the first determining unit is negative while the determination result given by the second determining unit is affirmative, the operation mode determining unit changes the operation mode of the robot from the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor to the one-leg hopping operation mode after the leg to be landed anew in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor after current time lands on the floor.

16. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 14, wherein

in the case where the determination result given by the third determining unit is affirmative, the operation mode determining unit changes the operation mode of the robot from the one-leg hopping operation mode to the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor after the one leg to be landed anew in the one-leg hopping operation mode after current time lands on the floor.

17. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 15,

wherein the first condition includes at least a first A condition that a desired landing position in the desired gait of a leg to be landed on a floor anew after the current time in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor lies in a predetermined permissible landing region associated with the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor in the case where it is assumed that the desired gait is generated by the desired gait generating unit provided that the operation mode is maintained to the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor, a first B condition that the motion trajectory of the robot defined by the desired gait becomes a motion trajectory that can be converged in the future to a motion trajectory of a virtual cyclic gait repeating the same pattern of motion in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor, and a first C condition that the desired position of a ZMP defined by the desired gait lies in a predetermined ZMP existence permissible region set according to the motion trajectories of the two legs defined by the desired gait, and

the second condition includes at least a second A condition that a desired landing position in the desired gait of a leg to be landed on a floor anew in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor lies in a predetermined permissible landing region associated with the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor in the case where it is assumed that the desired gait is generated by the desired gait generating unit provided that the operation mode is changed from the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor to the one-leg hopping operation mode after the leg to be landed anew after the current time in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor lands on a floor, a second B condition that the motion trajectory of the robot defined by the desired gait becomes a motion trajectory that can be converged in the future to a motion trajectory of a virtual cyclic gait repeating the same pattern of motion in the one-leg hopping operation mode, and a second C condition that the desired position of a ZMP defined by the desired gait lies in a predetermined ZMP existence permissible region set according to the motion trajectory of the one leg defined by the desired gait.

18. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 16,

wherein the third condition includes at least a third A condition that a desired landing position in the desired gait of the one leg to be landed on a floor anew in the one-leg hopping operation mode lies in a predetermined permissible landing region associated with the one-leg hopping operation mode in the case where it is assumed that the desired gait is generated by the desired gait generating unit provided that the operation mode is changed from the one-leg hopping operation mode to the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor after the one leg to be landed on the floor anew after current time in the one-leg hopping operation mode, a third B condition that the motion trajectory of the robot defined by the desired gait becomes a motion trajectory that can be converged in the future to a motion trajectory of a virtual cyclic gait repeating the same pattern of motion in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor, and a third C condition that the desired position of a ZMP defined by the desired gait lies in a predetermined ZMP existence permissible region set according to the motion trajectories of the two legs defined by the desired gait, and

the fourth condition includes at least a fourth A condition that a desired landing position in the desired gait of the one leg to be landed on a floor anew after the current time in the one-leg hopping operation mode lies in the predetermined permissible landing region associated with the one-leg hopping operation mode in the case where it is assumed that the desired gait is generated by the desired gait generating unit provided that the operation mode is maintained to the one-leg hopping operation mode, a fourth B condition that the motion trajectory of the robot defined by the desired gait becomes a motion trajectory that can be converged in the future to a motion trajectory of a virtual cyclic gait repeating the same pattern of motion in the one-leg hopping operation mode, and a fourth C condition that the desired position of a ZMP defined by the desired gait lies in a predetermined ZMP existence permissible region set according to the motion trajectory of the one leg defined by the desired gait.

19. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 13,

wherein the desired gait generating unit has a unit which generates a desired motion of the robot such that the total center-of-gravity point of the robot descends in the case where the determination result given by the first determining unit and the determination result given by the second determining unit are both negative.

20. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 14,

wherein the desired gait generating unit has a unit which generates a desired motion of the robot such that the total center-of-gravity point of the robot descends in the case where the determination result given by the third determining unit and the determination result given by the fourth determining unit are both negative.

2. A control device for a bipedal mobile robot which has two legs with the proximal end portions thereof connected to a body through the intermediary of joints and which is capable of accomplishing motions, including a one-leg hopping motion in which only one of the two legs leaves from a floor and then lands on the floor while the other leg is off the floor, the control device comprising:

a desired gait generating unit which generates a desired gait including at least a desired motion of the robot such that the horizontal distance between the total center-of-gravity point of the robot and the proximal end portion of the one leg in a state wherein the one leg has landed on the floor after leaving from the floor is shorter than the horizontal distance therebetween in a state wherein the robot is standing in an upright posture when the robot performs the one-leg hopping motion; and

a joint control unit which controls the operation of each joint of the robot according to the generated desired gait.

4. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 2, wherein

the desired motion generated by the desired gait generating unit in the state wherein the one leg has landed on the floor after leaving from the floor is a desired motion that causes the total center-of-gravity point of the robot and the proximal end portion of the one leg to be vertically arranged at right above the ground contact surface of the one leg.

6. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 4, wherein

in the case where the parallel direction of the two legs in the state wherein the robot is standing in the upright posture is defined as the lateral direction of the robot, the posture of the body in the desired motion generated by the desired gait generating unit in the state wherein the one leg has landed on the floor after leaving from the floor is a posture obtained by tilting the body toward the one leg in the lateral direction of the robot from the body posture in the upright posture.

21. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 2,

wherein the robot has, as the operation mode thereof, a one-leg hopping operation mode, which is a mode for carrying out the one-leg hopping motion, and an operation mode of both leg alternately leaving from/landing on a floor for the robot to travel by carrying out the leaving from/landing on a floor motion, which consists of the motion of each leg leaving from a floor and then landing on the floor, alternating between two legs, the control device further comprising:

a first determining unit which sequentially determines whether it is possible to generate the desired gait that satisfies a predetermined first condition required to continue the motion of the robot in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor while the robot is moving in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor;

a second determining unit which sequentially determines whether it is possible to generate the desired gait that satisfies a predetermined second condition required to continue the motion of the robot by changing the future operation mode of the robot from the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor to the one-leg hopping operation mode in the case where the determination result given by the first determining unit is negative; and

an operation mode determining unit which maintains the operation mode of the robot to the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor in the case where the determination result given by the first determining unit is affirmative, or determines the operation mode of the robot on the basis of the determination results given by the first determining unit and the second determining unit so as to change the future operation mode of the robot from the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor to the one-leg hopping operation mode in the case where the determination result given by the first determining unit is negative while the determination result given by the second determining unit is affirmative,

wherein the desired gait generating unit generates the desired gait such that the robot performs a motion in the determined operation mode.

22. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 21, further comprising:

a third determining unit which sequentially determines whether it is possible to generate the desired gait that satisfies a predetermined third condition required to continue the motion of the robot by changing the future operation mode of the robot from the one-leg hopping operation mode to the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor during the motion of the robot in the one-leg hopping operation mode; and

a fourth determining unit which sequentially determines whether it is possible to generate the desired gait that satisfies a predetermined fourth condition required to continue the motion of the robot in the one-leg hopping operation mode in the case where the determination result given by the third determining unit is negative,

wherein the operation mode determining unit includes a unit which determines the operation mode of the robot according to the determination results given by the third determining unit and the fourth determining unit such that the future operation mode of the robot is changed from the one-leg hopping operation mode to the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor in the case where the determination result given by the third determining unit is affirmative, or the future operation mode of the robot is maintained to the one-leg hopping operation mode in the case where the determination result given by the third determining unit is negative and the determination result given by the fourth determining unit is affirmative.

23. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 21, wherein

in the case where the determination result given by the first determining unit is negative while the determination result given by the second determining unit is affirmative, the operation mode determining unit changes the operation mode of the robot from the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor to the one-leg hopping operation mode after the leg to be landed anew in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor after current time lands on a floor.

24. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 22, wherein

in the case where the determination result given by the third determining unit is affirmative, the operation mode determining unit changes the operation mode of the robot from the one-leg hopping operation mode to the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor after the one leg to be landed anew in the one-leg hopping operation mode after current time lands on a floor.

25. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 23, wherein

the first condition includes at least a first A condition that a desired landing position in the desired gait of a leg to be landed on a floor anew after current time in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor lies in a predetermined permissible landing region associated with the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor in the case where it is assumed that the desired gait is generated by the desired gait generating unit provided that the operation mode is maintained to the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor, a first B condition that the motion trajectory of the robot defined by the desired gait becomes a motion trajectory that can be converged in the future to a motion trajectory of a virtual cyclic gait repeating the same pattern of motion in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor, and a first C condition that the desired position of a ZMP defined by the desired gait lies in a predetermined ZMP existence permissible region set according to the motion trajectories of the two legs defined by the desired gait, and

the second condition includes at least a second A condition that a desired landing position in the desired gait of a leg to be landed on a floor anew in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor lies in the predetermined permissible landing region associated with the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor in the case where it is assumed that the desired gait is generated by the desired gait generating unit provided that the operation mode is changed from the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor to the one-leg hopping operation mode after the leg to be landed anew after current time in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor lands on a floor, a second B condition that the motion trajectory of the robot defined by the desired gait becomes a motion trajectory that can be converged in the future to a motion trajectory of a virtual cyclic gait repeating the same pattern of motion in the one-leg hopping operation mode, and a second C condition that the desired position of a ZMP defined by the desired gait lies in a predetermined ZMP existence permissible region set according to the motion trajectory of the one leg defined by the desired gait.

26. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 24, wherein

the third condition includes at least a third A condition that a desired landing position in the desired gait of the one leg to be landed on a floor anew in the one-leg hopping operation mode lies in a predetermined permissible landing region associated with the one-leg hopping operation mode in the case where it is assumed that the desired gait is generated by the desired gait generating unit provided that the operation mode is changed from the one-leg hopping operation mode to the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor after the one leg to be landed on the floor anew after current time in the one-leg hopping operation mode lands on the floor, a third B condition that the motion trajectory of the robot defined by the desired gait becomes a motion trajectory that can be converged in the future to a motion trajectory of a virtual cyclic gait repeating the same pattern of motion in the operation mode of both legs alternately leaving from/landing on a floor, and a third C condition that the desired position of a ZMP defined by the desired gait lies in a predetermined ZMP existence permissible region set according to the motion trajectories of the two legs defined by the desired gait, and

the fourth condition includes at least a fourth A condition that a desired landing position in the desired gait of the one leg to be landed on a floor anew after current time in the one-leg hopping operation mode lies in the predetermined permissible landing region associated with the one-leg hopping operation mode in the case where it is assumed that the desired gait is generated by the desired gait generating unit provided that the operation mode is maintained to the one-leg hopping operation mode, a fourth B condition that the motion trajectory of the robot defined by the desired gait becomes a motion trajectory that can be converged in the future to a motion trajectory of a virtual cyclic gait repeating the same pattern of motion in the one-leg hopping operation mode, and a fourth C condition that the desired position of a ZMP defined by the desired gait lies in a predetermined ZMP existence permissible region set according to the motion trajectory of the one leg defined by the desired gait.

27. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 21, wherein

the desired gait generating unit has a unit which generates a desired motion of the robot such that the total center-of-gravity point of the robot descends in the case where the determination result given by the first determining unit and the determination result given by the second determining unit are both negative.

28. The control device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 22, wherein

the desired gait generating unit has a unit which generates a desired motion of the robot such that the total center-of-gravity point of the robot descends in the case where the determination result given by the third determining unit and the determination result given by the fourth determining unit are both negative.

7. A gait generating device for a bipedal mobile robot which has two legs with the proximal end portions thereof connected to a body through the intermediary of joints and which is capable of accomplishing motions, including a one-leg hopping motion in which only one of the two legs leaves from a floor and then lands on the floor while the other leg is off the floor, the gait generating device comprising:

a desired motion generating unit which generates a desired motion of the robot such that the proximal end portion of the other leg is position at a relatively higher level than the proximal end portion of the one leg in the state wherein the one leg has landed on a floor after leaving from the floor in the case where a desired gait including at least a desired motion of the robot for causing the robot to perform the one-leg hopping motion is generated.

9. The gait generating device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 7, wherein

the desired motion generated by the desired motion generating unit in the state in which the one leg has landed on the floor after leaving from the floor is a desired motion that causes the total center-of-gravity point of the robot and the proximal end portion of the one leg to be vertically arranged at right above the ground contact surface of the one leg.

11. The gait generating device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 9, wherein

in the case where the parallel direction of the two legs in the state wherein the robot is standing in the upright posture is defined as the lateral direction of the robot, the posture of the body in the desired motion generated by the desired gait generating unit in the state wherein the one leg has landed on the floor after leaving from the floor is a posture obtained by tilting the body toward the one leg in the lateral direction of the robot from the body posture in the upright posture.

8. A gait generating device for a bipedal mobile robot which has two legs with the proximal end portions thereof connected to a body through the intermediary of joints and which is capable of accomplishing motions, including a one-leg hopping motion in which only one of the two legs leaves from a floor and then lands on the floor while the other leg is off the floor, the gait generating device comprising:

a desired motion generating unit which generates a desired motion of the robot such that the horizontal distance between the total center-of-gravity point of the robot and the proximal end portion of the one leg in the state wherein the one leg has landed on a floor after leaving from the floor is shorter than the horizontal distance in the state wherein the robot is standing in the upright posture in the case where a desired gait including at least a desired motion of the robot for causing the robot to perform the one-leg hopping motion is generated.

10. The gait generating device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 8, wherein

the desired motion generated by the desired motion generating unit in the state in which the one leg has landed on the floor after leaving from the floor is a desired motion that causes the total center-of-gravity point of the robot and the proximal end portion of the one leg to be vertically arranged at right above the ground contact surface of the one leg.

12. The gait generating device for a bipedal mobile robot according to claim 10, wherein

in the case where the parallel direction of the two legs in the state wherein the robot is standing in the upright posture is defined as the lateral direction of the robot, the posture of the body in the desired motion generated by the desired gait generating unit in the state wherein the one leg has landed on the floor after leaving from the floor is a posture obtained by tilting the body toward the one leg in the lateral direction of the robot from the body posture in the upright posture.