Realization of dynamic biped walking varying joint stiffness using antagonistic driven joints

The authors introduce a life-size biped walking robot having antagonistic driven joints using a nonlinear spring mechanism and a dynamic biped walking control method using these joints. In the current research concerning a biped walking robot, there is no developed example of a life-size biped walking robot with antagonistically driven joints by which the human musculo-skeletal system is imitated in lower limbs. Humans are considered to walk efficiently using the inertial energy and the potential energy of the lower limbs effectively, walk smoothly with less impact force when a foot lands and cope flexibly with the outside environment. The human joint is driven by two or more muscle groups. Humans can vary the joint stiffness, using nonlinear spring characteristics possessed by the muscles themselves. These functions are indispensable for a humanoid. However, the biped walking robots developed previously have been unable to walk in this way. Therefore, the authors developed a biped walking robot having antagonistic driven joints, and proposed a walking control method for dynamic biped walking that uses antagonistic driven joints to vary joint stiffness. The authors performed walking experiments using the biped walking robot and the control method. As a result, dynamic biped walking varying the joint stiffness using antagonistic driven joints was realized.