Walking robot movement on non-smooth surface controlled by pressure sensor

Abstract

In this letter, we focus on the robot movement on non-smooth ground-surface, detected by pressure sensor. A simulation tool has been developed to study the robot motion according to the ground-surface condition change. The effect of the robot-foot contact with the ground-surface is considered by elastic properties to the ground. We performed simulation analyses for various surface conditions to control the robot dynamics with respect to pressure sensing data that incorporates the two-way interactions between robot and ground. We upgraded the robot by implementing the pressure sensors under its foot, to measure the real-time contact force between foot and ground-surface. The obtained sensing data is used to analyse the surface condition, for controlling robot-leg movement horizontally along the ground-surface. Consequently, the analysis results guide us to improve the motion of a real self-controlled walking robot.