Autonomous legged robots can be very useful in performing tasks in hazardous environments where the terrain precludes the effective use of wheels. Although they have some distinct advantages over tethered and wheeled robots, autonomous legged robots have distinct control issues that must be addressed. These problems are amplified when the robot is small with an on-board controller which is purposely simple to accommodate weight and expense restrictions.
Gait production for hexapod robots is a well-known problem. A
satisfactory gait requires the proper sequence of commands given to
the various actuators of the robot in such an order that not only are
the individual legs coordinated but the set of legs are
coordinated. This sequence needs to be properly structured so that it
can be continually repeated to produce sustained forward motion. Our
research focuses on gait production for six
and eight legged robots.
