Biomimetic Locomotion of a Hexapod Robot based on fire ant’s gait motion
Disciplines
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics | Other Mechanical Engineering
Abstract (300 words maximum)
The development of biomimetic hexapod robots has generated significant interest due to their potential to navigate uneven and cluttered environments. However, the previous research on these robots has been limited in exploring how to control them when they are damaged during missions. To address this gap, the objective of this project is to expand the existing research on biomimetic hexapods by studying the changes in ant gait motion that result from leg loss and implementing those changes in a robot. To achieve this goal, a walking robot simulator was developed and modeled with consideration of the constraints of scale, mass distribution, motor weight, and leg lengths. The timing of the injured ant's leg liftoff and landing was analyzed and programmed in the robot. Two unique movement patterns, the broken tripod gait and wave gait, were identified as a result of this analysis. The robot's performance was assessed under both patterns, with stability observed while walking in manually programmed wave and tripod gaits with six legs. However, when one leg was removed, the robot was unstable. The biomimetic five-legged gaits were also observed to be unstable when leg timings were mimicked without consideration of the center of mass. Incorporating the center of mass mimicry is expected to improve the robot's walking stability. By exploring how to control damaged hexapod robots, this project expands the potential applications of these robots, making them more versatile and robust in challenging environments.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
SPCEET - Mechanical Engineering
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Dal Hyung Kim
Biomimetic Locomotion of a Hexapod Robot based on fire ant’s gait motion
The development of biomimetic hexapod robots has generated significant interest due to their potential to navigate uneven and cluttered environments. However, the previous research on these robots has been limited in exploring how to control them when they are damaged during missions. To address this gap, the objective of this project is to expand the existing research on biomimetic hexapods by studying the changes in ant gait motion that result from leg loss and implementing those changes in a robot. To achieve this goal, a walking robot simulator was developed and modeled with consideration of the constraints of scale, mass distribution, motor weight, and leg lengths. The timing of the injured ant's leg liftoff and landing was analyzed and programmed in the robot. Two unique movement patterns, the broken tripod gait and wave gait, were identified as a result of this analysis. The robot's performance was assessed under both patterns, with stability observed while walking in manually programmed wave and tripod gaits with six legs. However, when one leg was removed, the robot was unstable. The biomimetic five-legged gaits were also observed to be unstable when leg timings were mimicked without consideration of the center of mass. Incorporating the center of mass mimicry is expected to improve the robot's walking stability. By exploring how to control damaged hexapod robots, this project expands the potential applications of these robots, making them more versatile and robust in challenging environments.