Terrain-Adaptive Biped Walking Control Using Three-Point Contact Foot Mechanism Detectable Ground Surface

In this study we describe a terrain-adaptive biped walking control using a new biped foot mechanism with the capability of detecting ground surface. The foot system consists of three spikes each of which has an optical sensor to detect ground height. A robot modifies a foot-landing motion along the vertical axis and about pitch and roll axes according to sensor values, and this enables the robot to walk on unknown uneven terrain. Verification of the proposed control was conducted through experiments with a human-sized humanoid robot WABIAN-2R.

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