A Bipedal Walking Robot with Efficient and Human-Like Gait

Here we present the design of a passive-dynamics based, fully autonomous, 3-D, bipedal walking robot that uses simple control, consumes little energy, and has human-like morphology and gait. Design aspects covered here include the freely rotating hip joint with angle bisecting mechanism; freely rotating knee joints with latches; direct actuation of the ankles with a spring, release mechanism, and reset motor; wide feet that are shaped to aid lateral stability; and the simple control algorithm. The biomechanics context of this robot is discussed in more detail in 1, and movies of the robot walking are available at Science Online and http://www.tam.cornell.edu/~ruina/powerwalk.html. This robot adds evidence to the idea that passive-dynamic approaches might help design walking robots that are simpler, more efficient and easier to control.