Hexapod leg coordination using simple geometrical tripod-gait and inverse kinematics approach

Abstract

The coordination of legs movement is an important capability in any multi-legged robots motion. The required timing for legs coordination depends on the number of legs and servos, as well as the complexity of the chosen algorithm, This paper proposed the use of tripod-gait movement algorithm for a hexapod which is defined by simple geometrical and inverse kinematics approach. The hexapod has 3 servos in each leg or 18 servos in total that should be able to produce several motions including moving forward, backward, turn left and turn right as fast as possible. Experimental results showed that the proposed method worked well for hexapod legs coordination. Furthermore, this simple approach can move the hexapod two times faster than the ordinary inverse kinematics method.