A Differential Steering System for Humanoid Robots

Biped locomotion for humanoid robots is a challenging problem that has come into prominence in recent years. As the degrees of freedom of a humanoid robot approaches to that of humans, the need for a better, robust, flexible and simpler maneuverability becomes inevitable for real or realistic environments. This paper presents a new method of controlling the trajectory of a humanoid robot on the basis of differential steering systems. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that such a technique has been applied on humanoid robots. It has been empirically shown that a humanoid robot can plan its trajectory by using the same principle applied in differential steering systems, and the change in its orientation can be easily calculated in degrees. Therefore, this method enables the robot to move in a desired curved-shape trajectory, instead of aligning itself with the target prior to walking or performing more complex and time consuming motions like diagonal walk or sidewalk. This method is also beneficial when further trajectory planning constraints such as obstacle avoidance are considered. KeywordsHumanoid robots, Differential Steering Systems, Biped Walk, Gait