Comparison of Alternative Gaits for Multiped Robots with Severed Legs

Abstract

Multiped robots have become the focus of heated discussion lately, especially in applications involving rescue or military missions and underwater or extra-terrestrial explorations. The surroundings concerned are harsh and hazardous terrains, and predictably the malfunction rate is high. What if a leg is irreparably damaged? The original gait can no longer be used and an alternative gait must be taken for the robot to continue its mission. This paper studies and enumerates preferred alternative gaits for six- and eight-legged robots under a proposed severed leg scheme. A leg is assumed to be completely detachable when a failure occurs. Based on a new criterion called the progressive efficiency (PE), defined via the enhanced gait charts, along with other criteria like the stride length and the longitudinal stability, alternative gaits are evaluated. The tables of recommended gaits in this paper are useful for robots when a leg failure is foreseen. These tables not only provide a guideline as to what alternative gait to use, they also give insight into how important a certain leg is. A comparison between the severed leg scheme and the existing locked-joint strategy is also included.