Legged Robot Dynamic Balance for Whole-Body Manipulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robots require static balance establishment before operating end-effectors, limiting simultaneous movement and manipulation capabilities, which does not resemble human-like motion effectively.
Innovation Solution
A robot system with a control system that dynamically balances its legs to maintain balance while operating end-effectors, allowing for whole-body manipulation by coordinating lower body and upper body control systems to manage reaction forces and moments, enabling simultaneous movement and task execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the robot establishes static balance before operating end-effectors, then the robot maintains stable balance, but the robot cannot perform simultaneous movement and manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from static balance to dynamic balance by enabling the robot to continuously adjust its center of mass and generate compensatory moments during movement. The control system calculates dynamic balance requirements in real-time, allowing the robot to maintain stability while performing manipulation tasks without interrupting its gait, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and productivity
2Ease of operation
If the robot interrupts gait to operate end-effectors, then the robot can perform precise manipulation, but the robot loses continuous movement capability
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables dynamic balance control that allows precise manipulation operations to be performed during continuous movement. The control system dynamically adjusts leg forces and body orientation to compensate for manipulation-induced disturbances, eliminating the need to interrupt gait and thereby maintaining both manipulation precision and continuous movement capability
3Device complexity
If the robot uses conventional static balance control, then the control system is simpler, but the robot cannot achieve human-like motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic balance control that calculates and adjusts center of mass position and leg reaction forces in real-time during movement and manipulation. This dynamic approach, while increasing control complexity, enables the robot to achieve human-like motion patterns where the body dynamically adjusts to maintain balance during simultaneous locomotion and manipulation tasks
Data Source
AI summary
A robot system includes: an upper body section including one or more end-effectors; a lower body section including one or more legs; and an intermediate body section coupling the upper and lower body sections. An upper body control system operates at least one of the end-effectors. The intermediate body section experiences a first intermediate body linear force and/or moment based on an end-effector force acting on the at least one end-effector. A lower body control system operates the one or more legs. The one or more legs experience respective surface reaction forces. The intermediate body section experiences a second intermediate body linear force and/or moment based on the surface reaction forces. The lower body control system operates the one or more legs so that the second intermediate body linear force balances the first intermediate linear force and the second intermediate body moment balances the first intermediate body moment.