Operation control device for leg-type mobile robot and operation control method, and robot device

• US 7,386,364 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2003
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jinichi Yamaguchi, Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Jinichi Yamaguchi, Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Jinichi, Miyamoto, Atsushi, Mikami, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc; McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US10/477,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20050055131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,912 Days
• Field of Search: 700/66, 700/245, 700/246, 700/247, 700/248, 700/249, 700/250, 700/253, 700/257, 700/260, 700/262, 700/264, 700/275, 700/261, 700/300, 318/9, 318/443, 318/568.12, 318/568.22, 318/580, 318/653, 318/800, 701/23, 701/25, 901/1, 901/9, 901/46, 901/47
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/02 with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members
• 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

A legged mobile robot gives up a normal walking motion and starts a tumbling motion when an excessively high external force or external moment is applied thereto and a behavior plan of a foot part thereof is disabled. At this time, the variation amount ΔS/Δt of the area S of a support polygon of the body per time t is minimized and the support polygon when the body drops onto a floor is maximized to distribute an impact which acts upon the body from the floor when the body drops onto the floor to the whole body to suppress the damage to the body to the minimum. Further, the legged mobile robot autonomously restores a standing up posture from an on-floor posture thereof such as a supine posture or a prone posture.

Claims

1. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot which includes movable legs and performs a legged operation in a standing posture thereof, characterized in that

said legged mobile robot has a plurality of postures or states, and that

said motion controlling apparatus comprises:

first means for calculating an area S of a support polygon formed from landed points of a body of said legged mobile robot and a floor;

second means for calculating the variation Δ

S/Δ

t of the area S of the support polygon per time Δ

t; and

third means for determining a motion of said body when the posture or state is to be changed based on the area S of the support polygon or the variation rate Δ

S/Δ

t of the area S.

2. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 1, characterized in that said third means includes:

landed location searching means for searching for a landed location upon tumbling of said legged mobile robot based on the variation per time Δ

t of the area S of the support polygon formed from the landed points of said body and the floor;

target landing point setting means for setting a target landing point at which the location selected by said landed location searching means should be landed so that the variation Δ

S/Δ

t per time Δ

t of the area S of the support polygon formed from the landed points of said body and the floor may be minimized; and

location landing means for landing the location selected by said landed portion searching means at the target landing point set by said target landing point setting means.

3. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 2, further comprising:

support polygon expansion means for moving the landed portion so that the support polygon newly formed by landing of the location selected by said location landing means may be further expanded.

4. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 2, characterized in that

the landing operation of the portion by said landed portion searching means and said target landing point setting means and/or the expansion operation of the support polygon by said support polygon expansion means are performed repetitively.

5. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 2, characterized in that

said legged mobile robot is formed from a link structure wherein a plurality of substantially parallel joint axes having a joint degree-of-freedom are connected to each other in a lengthwise direction, and

said target landing point setting means sets a location at which a link with which the number of non-landed links is maximized exists as a target.

6. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 1, characterized in that

said legged mobile robot is formed from a link structure wherein a plurality of substantially parallel joint axes having a joint degree-of-freedom are connected to each other in a lengthwise direction, and

said third means includes:

means for searching, when said legged mobile robot returns from its tumbling state, for the narrowest support polygon formed from the least number of links from among landed polygons formed, in an on-floor posture of said legged mobile robot in which two or more links including a gravity center link positioned at the center of gravity of said body are landed on the floor, from the landed links;

means for taking off the landed links in the landed polygons except those of the searched out support polygon;

means for bending two or more continuous ones of non-landed links until end portions of the end links land onto the floor to form a narrower landed polygon; and

means for taking off a number of links greater than a first predetermined number from one end side of said link structure to stand said body uprightly in response to that the support polygon is sufficiently narrow.

7. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 6, characterized in that

said means for searching for the support polygon extracts a landed link which can be taken off from the floor while a zero moment point remains plannable.

8. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 6, characterized in that

said means for searching for the support polygon searches for a narrower support polygon while keeping the gravity center link in the landed state.

9. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 6, characterized in that

said means for standing said body uprightly determines whether or not the gravity center link can be taken off in a state wherein the end portions of the opposite end links of the landed polygon are landed thereby to determine whether or not the support polygon is sufficiently narrow.

10. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 6, characterized in that

said means for standing said body uprightly includes:

means for taking off the gravity center link from the floor in a state wherein the end portions of the opposite end links of the support polygon are landed;

means for reducing the distance between the end portions of the opposite end links of the support polygon in a state wherein the gravity center link is taken off to move a zero moment point to the other end side of said link structure; and

means for taking off, in response to that the zero moment point enters a landed polygon formed only from a number of landed links smaller than a second predetermined number from the other end of said link structure, a number of links greater than a first predetermined number from the one end side of said link structure while the zero moment point is kept accommodated in the landed polygon to expand the non-landed links in the lengthwise direction.

11. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 10, characterized in that

said means for expanding the non-landed links in the lengthwise direction operates positively using a joint degree-of-freedom having a comparatively great mass operation amount.

12. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 6, characterized in that

said link structure includes at least shoulder joint pitch axes, a trunk pitch axis, hip joint pitch axes and knee pitch axes connected to each other in the heightwise direction of said body.

13. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 12, characterized in that

said means for searching for the support polygon extracts two or more continuous links extending from one end side of said link structure which includes at least the shoulder joint pitch axes as links which can be taken off from the floor while the zero moment point remains plannable.

14. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 12, characterized in that

said means for searching for the support polygon searches for a narrower support polygon while a link which interconnects said trunk pitch axis and said hip joint pitch axes is kept as the gravity center link in the landed state.

15. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 12, characterized in that

said means for forming a narrower landed polygon bends the non-landed links around said shoulder joint pitch axes to land the hands which are an end portion of one of the end links onto the floor.

16. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 15, characterized in that,

where the length of the upper arms is represented by l₁, the length of the forehands by l₂, the shoulder roll angle by α

, the elbow pitch angle by β

, the length from the shoulders to the hands by l₁₂, the angle defined by a line interconnecting each of the shoulders and a corresponding one of the hands by γ

, and the height of the shoulders by h, each of the arm parts operates so as to satisfy the following expressions;

l₁₂=l₁ cos α

+l₂ sin (α

+β

−

90)

l₁₂ sin γ

<

h.

17. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 12, characterized in that

said means for searching for the support polygon extracts two or more continuous links extending from the other end side of said link structure and including at least said knee joint pitch axes as the links which can be taken off from the floor while the zero moment point remains plannable.

18. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 12, characterized in that

said means for forming a narrower landed polygon bends the non-landed links around said knee joint pitch axes to land the soles which are end portions of the end links of said link structure.

19. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 12, characterized in that

said means for standing said body uprightly determines whether or not the gravity center link which interconnects said trunk pitch axis and said hip joint pitch axes can be taken off from the floor in a state wherein the hands and the soles as the end portions of the opposite end links of the landed polygon to determine whether or not the support polygon is sufficiently narrow.

20. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 12, characterized in that

said means for standing said body uprightly includes:

means for taking off the gravity center link which interconnects said trunk pitch and said hip joint pitch axes from the floor in a state wherein the hands and the soles as the end portions of the opposite end links of the landed polygon are landed;

means for contracting the distance between the hands and the soles as the end portions of the opposite end links of the landed polygon in a state wherein the gravity center link is taken off from the floor to move the zero moment point to the soles; and

means for taking off, in response to that the zero moment point enters the landed polygon formed from the soles, the links from said shoulder pitch axes to said knee pitch axes while the zero moment point is kept accommodated in the landed polygon to expand the non-landed links in the lengthwise direction to stand said body uprightly.

21. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 20, characterized in that

said means for expanding the non-landed links in the lengthwise direction operates positively using said knee joint pitch axes having a comparatively great mass operation amount.

22. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 6, characterized in that

said means for producing a narrower landed polygon selectively utilizes one of a step changing motion and a dragging motion on the floor of the hand parts or the foot parts in response to whether it is possible to take off two or more of the links which do not relate to the smallest support polygon from the floor to form a narrower landed polygon.

23. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot which includes movable legs and performs a legged operation in a standing posture thereof, characterized in that

said legged mobile robot has a plurality of postures or states, and that

said motion controlling method comprises:

a first step of calculating an area S of a support polygon formed from landed points of a body of said legged mobile robot and a floor;

a second step of calculating the variation Δ

S/Δ

t of the area S of the support polygon per time Δ

t; and

a third step of determining a motion of said body when the posture or state is to be changed based on the area S of the support polygon or the variation rate Δ

S/Δ

t of the area S.

24. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 23, characterized in that said third step includes:

a landed location searching step for searching for a landed location upon tumbling of said legged mobile robot based on the variation per time Δ

t of the area S of the support polygon formed from the landed points of said body and the floor;

a target landing point setting step of setting a target landing point at which the location selected at the landed location searching step should be landed so that the variation Δ

S/Δ

t per time Δ

t of the area S of the support polygon formed from the landed points of said body and the floor may be minimized; and

a location landing step of landing the location selected at the landed portion searching step at the target landing point set at the target landing point setting step.

25. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 24, further comprising:

a support polygon expansion step for moving the landed portion so that the support polygon newly formed by landing of the location selected at the location landing step may be further expanded.

26. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 24, characterized in that

the landing operation of the portion at the landed portion searching step and the target landing point setting step and/or the expansion operation of the support polygon at the support polygon expansion step are performed repetitively.

27. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 24, characterized in that

said legged mobile robot is formed from a link structure wherein a plurality of substantially parallel joint axes having a joint degree-of-freedom are connected to each other in a lengthwise direction, and

the target landing point setting step sets a location at which a link with which the number of non-landed links is maximized exists as a target.

28. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 23, characterized in that

said legged mobile robot is formed from a link structure wherein a plurality of substantially parallel joint axes having a joint degree-of-freedom are connected to each other in a lengthwise direction, and

the third step includes the steps of:

searching, when said legged mobile robot returns from its tumbling state, for the narrowest support polygon formed from the least number of links from among landed polygons formed, in an on-floor posture of said legged mobile robot in which two or more links including a gravity center link positioned at the center of gravity of said body are landed on the floor, from the landed links;

taking off the landed links in the landed polygons except those of the searched out support polygon;

bending two or more continuous ones of non-landed links until end portions of the end links land onto the floor to form a narrower landed polygon; and

taking off a number of links greater than a first predetermined number from one end side of said link structure to stand said body uprightly in response to that the support polygon is sufficiently narrow.

29. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 28, characterized in that,

at the step of searching for the support polygon, a landed link which can be taken off from the floor while a zero moment point remains plannable is extracted.

30. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 28, characterized in that,

at the step of searching for the support polygon, a narrower support polygon is searched for while keeping the gravity center link in the landed state.

31. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 28, characterized in that

it is determined at the step of standing said body uprightly whether or not the gravity center link can be taken off from the floor in a state wherein the end portions of the opposite end links of the landed polygon are landed thereby to determine whether or not the support polygon is sufficiently narrow.

32. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 28, characterized in that,

at the step of standing said body uprightly,

the gravity center link is taken off from the floor in a state wherein the end portions of the opposite end links of the support polygon are landed, and the distance between the end portions of the opposite end links of the support polygon is reduced to move a zero moment point to the other end side of said link structure, and,

in response to that the zero moment point enters a landed polygon formed only from a number of landed links smaller than a second predetermined number from the other end of said link structure, a number of links greater than a first predetermined number from the one end side of said link structure are taken off from the floor while the zero moment point is kept accommodated in the landed polygon to expand the non-landed links in the lengthwise direction.

33. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 32, characterized in that,

at the step of expanding the non-landed links in the lengthwise direction, a joint degree-of-freedom having a comparatively great mass operation amount is positively used for the operation.

34. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 28, characterized in that

said link structure includes at least shoulder joint pitch axes, a trunk pitch axis, hip joint pitch axes and knee pitch axes connected to each other in the heightwise direction of said body.

35. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 34, characterized in that,

at the step of searching for the support polygon, two or more continuous links extending from one end side of said link structure which includes at least the shoulder joint pitch axes are extracted as links which can be taken off from the floor while the zero moment point remains plannable.

36. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 34, characterized in that,

at the step of searching for the support polygon, a narrower support polygon is searched for while a link which interconnects said trunk pitch axis and said hip joint pitch axes is kept as the gravity center link in the landed state.

37. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 34, characterized in that,

at the step of forming a narrower landed polygon, the non-landed links are bent around said shoulder joint pitch axes to land the hands which are an end portion of one of the end links onto the floor.

38. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 37, characterized in that,

where the length of the upper arms is represented by l₁, the length of the forehands by l₂, the shoulder roll angle by α

, the elbow pitch angle by β

, the length from the shoulders to the hands by l₁₂, the angle defined by a line interconnecting each of the shoulders and a corresponding one of the hands by γ

, and the height of the shoulders by h, each of the arm parts operates so as to satisfy the following expressions;

l₁₂=l₁ cos α

+l₂ sin (α

+β

−

90)

l₁₂ sin γ

<

h.

39. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 34, characterized in that,

at the step of searching for the support polygon, two or more continuous links extending from the other end side of said link structure and including at least said knee joint pitch axes are extracted as the links which can be taken off from the floor while the zero moment point remains plannable.

40. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 34, characterized in that,

at the step of forming a narrower landed polygon, the non-landed links are bent around said knee joint pitch axes to land the soles which are end portions of the end links of said link structure.

41. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 34, characterized in that

it is determined at the step of standing said body uprightly whether or not the gravity center link which interconnects said trunk pitch axis and said hip joint pitch axes can be taken off from the floor in a state wherein the hands and the soles as the end portions of the opposite end links of the landed polygon to determine whether or not the support polygon is sufficiently narrow.

42. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 34, characterized in that,

at the step of standing said body uprightly,

the gravity center link which interconnects said trunk pitch and said hip joint pitch axes is taken off from the floor in a state wherein the hands and the soles as the end portions of the opposite end links of the landed polygon are landed and the distance between the hands and the soles as the end portions of the opposite end links of the landed polygon is reduced in a state wherein the gravity center link is taken off from the floor to move the zero moment point to the soles, and,

in response to that the zero moment point enters the landed polygon formed from the soles, the links are taken off from said shoulder pitch axes to said knee pitch axes while the zero moment point is kept accommodated in the landed polygon to expand the non-landed links in the lengthwise direction to stand said body uprightly.

43. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 42, characterized in that,

at the step of expanding the non-landed links in the lengthwise direction, said knee joint pitch axes having a comparatively great mass operation amount are used positively for the operation.

44. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 28, characterized in that,

at the step of producing a narrower landed polygon, one of a step changing motion and a dragging motion on the floor of the hand parts or the foot parts is selectively utilized in response to whether it is possible to take off two or more of the links which do not relate to the smallest support polygon from the floor to form a narrower landed polygon.

45. A legged mobile robot which includes movable legs and performs a legged operation in a standing posture thereof, comprising:

external force detection means for detecting application of an external force to a body of said legged mobile robot;

zero moment point trajectory planning means for disposing a zero moment point at which moments applied to said body balance each other on or on the inner side of a side of a support polygon formed from a sole landed point and a floor based on a result of the detection by said external force detection means; and

tumbling motion execution means for executing a tumbling motion of said body in response to that the disposition of the zero moment point in the support polygon by said zero moment point trajectory planning means is rendered difficult or impossible by the external force applied to said body.

46. A legged mobile robot according to claim 45, characterized in that

said external force detection means detects the external force applied to said body using a floor reactive force sensor or an acceleration sensor disposed on each of the soles or an acceleration sensor disposed at a position of the waist of the body.

47. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot which includes movable legs and performs a legged operation in a standing posture thereof, comprising:

an external force detection step of detecting application of an external force to a body of said legged mobile robot;

a zero moment point trajectory planning step of disposing a zero moment point at which moments applied to said body balance each other on or on the inner side of a side of a support polygon formed from a sole landed point and a floor based on a result of the detection at the external force detection step; and

a tumbling motion execution step of executing a tumbling motion of said body in response to that the disposition of the zero moment point in the support polygon by said zero moment point trajectory planning means is rendered difficult or impossible by the external force applied to said body.

48. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 47, characterized in that,

at the external force detection step, the external force applied to said body is detected using a floor reactive force sensor or an acceleration sensor disposed on each of the soles or an acceleration sensor disposed at a position of the waist of the body.

49. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot which includes movable legs and performs a legged operation in a standing posture thereof, comprising:

means for calculating an impact moment applied to a body of said legged mobile robot at each stage upon tumbling of said body;

means for calculating an impact force applied to said body from the floor at each stage upon tumbling;

means for calculating an area S of a support polygon formed from a landed point of said body and the floor;

first landed location searching means for selecting a next landed location so that the area S of the support polygon may be minimized or fixed; and

second landed location searching means for selecting a next landed location so that the area S of the support polygon may be increased.

50. A motion controlling apparatus for a legged mobile robot according to claim 49, characterized in that

a tumbling motion of said body is performed by said second landed location searching means if the impact force applied to said body from the floor is within a predetermined tolerance, but a tumbling motion of said body is performed by said first landed location searching means if the impact force is outside the predetermined tolerance.

51. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot which includes movable legs and performs a legged operation in a standing posture thereof, comprising:

a step of calculating an impact moment applied to a body of said legged mobile robot at each stage upon tumbling of said body;

a step of calculating an impact force applied to said body from the floor at each stage upon tumbling;

a step of calculating an area S of a support polygon formed from a landed point of said body and the floor;

a first landed location searching step of selecting a next landed location so that the area S of the support polygon may be minimized or fixed; and

a second landed location searching step of selecting a next landed location so that the area S of the support polygon may be increased.

52. A motion controlling method for a legged mobile robot according to claim 51, characterized in that

a tumbling motion of said body is performed by the second landed location searching step if the impact force applied to said body from the floor is within a predetermined tolerance, but a tumbling motion of said body is performed by the first landed location searching step if the impact force is outside the predetermined tolerance.

53. A motion controlling apparatus for controlling a series of motions relating to tumbling and standing up of a body of a legged mobile robot which includes movable legs and performs a legged operation in a standing posture thereof, characterized in that

said legged mobile robot is formed from a link structure wherein a plurality of substantially parallel joint axes having a joint degree-of-freedom are connected to each other in a lengthwise direction, and

said motion controlling apparatus comprises:

means for searching for the narrowest support polygon formed from a minimum number of links from among landed polygons formed from landed links in an on-floor posture wherein two or more links including a gravity center link at which the center of gravity of said body is positioned are landed on a floor upon tumbling of said legged mobile robot;

means for setting a zero moment point at a location at which the number of links which do not relate to the smallest support polygon is maximized to perform a tumbling motion;

means for searching for a link or links which can be taken off from the floor in the tumbling posture of said body; and

means for taking off all of the links which can be taken off from the floor to perform a standing up motion.

54. A motion controlling method for controlling a series of motions relating to tumbling and standing up of a body of a legged mobile robot which includes movable legs and performs a legged operation in a standing posture thereof, characterized in that

said legged mobile robot is formed from a link structure wherein a plurality of substantially parallel joint axes having a joint degree-of-freedom are connected to each other in a lengthwise direction, and

said motion controlling method comprises the steps of:

searching for the narrowest support polygon formed from a minimum number of links from among landed polygons formed from landed links in an on-floor posture wherein two or more links including a gravity center link at which the center of gravity of said body is positioned are landed on a floor upon tumbling of said legged mobile robot;

setting a zero moment point at a location at which the number of links which do not relate to the smallest support polygon is maximized to perform a tumbling motion;

searching for a link or links which can be taken off from the floor in the tumbling posture of said body; and

taking off all of the links which can be taken off from the floor to perform a standing up motion.

55. A robot apparatus having a trunk part, leg parts connected to said trunk part and arm parts connected to said trunk part, comprising:

support polygon detection means for detecting a first support polygon formed from a plurality of end portions of said leg parts, trunk part and/or arm parts at which said leg parts, trunk part and/or arm parts are landed on a floor;

support polygon changing means for bending said leg parts toward said trunk part to reduce the area of the first support polygon;

zero moment point motion controlling means for determining whether or not a zero moment point which is positioned in the changed first support polygon can be moved into a landed polygon formed from the soles of said leg parts; and

control means for moving, when said zero moment point motion controlling means determines that the zero moment point can be moved, the zero moment point from within the first support polygon into the landed polygon formed by the soles and changing the posture of said robot apparatus from a tumbling posture to a basic posture while the zero moment point is maintained within the landed polygon.

56. A robot apparatus which includes at least a body, one or more arm links connected to an upper portion of said body each through a first joint (shoulder), a first leg link connected to a lower portion of said body through a second joint (hip joint), and a second leg link connected to an end of said second leg link through a third joint (knee), comprising:

means for landing ends of said arm links and a foot part at an end of said second leg link to form a first support polygon;

means for moving said second joint upwardly higher than said third joint in a normal direction to the floor while the ends of said arm links and said foot part are kept landed, decreasing the area of the first support polygon and moving a zero moment point into a landed polygon formed from said foot part; and

means for standing a body of said robot apparatus uprightly while the zero moment point is kept in the landed polygon formed from said foot part.