Motion planning for planar bipeds using flatness: the single support phase

Trajectory planning and control of planar motions of biped robots is considered. The robot is modeled as a hierarchical structure of rigid links with rotational joints, which may be seen as a pendulum tree. Motors are available at all rotational joints. However, by the absence of control torques at the contact points with the ground, the system is underactuated. It is shown how differential flatness and time scaling can be helpful for the design of walking motions. Emphasis is put on the single support phase, when the robot touches the floor at a single point. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)