WalkNet - a decentralized architecture for the control of walking behaviour based on insect studies

A network model for controlling a six-legged, insect-like walking system is described, which is based as far as possible on data obtained from biological experiments. The network contains internal recurrent connections, but important recurrent connections utilize the loop through the environment. This approach leads to a modular structure, WalkNet, consisting of several subnets. One subnet controls the three joints of a leg during its swing which is arguably the simplest possible solution. The task for the stance subnet appears more difficult because the movements of a larger and varying number of joints have to be controlled such that each leg contributes efficiently to support and propulsion and legs do not work at cross purposes, i.e. do not produce interaction forces. This task appears to require some kind of “motor intelligence”. We show that an extremely decentralized, simple controller, based on a combination of negative and positive feedback at the joint level, copes with all these problems by exploiting the physical properties of the system.

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