Full Operating Condition Thigh Joint Motor Design Method for Quadruped Robot Under Trot Gait

Abstract

The joint actuator, as a key component of a quadruped robot, plays a crucial role in determining the robot's maximum speed, locomotion, stability, and load capacity. Consequently, designing suitable actuators is a critical phase in the overall design process of a quadruped robot. The thigh joint motor must function effectively under all operating conditions. Hence, traditional motor design methods are no longer applicable. In response to this challenge, a novel thigh joint motor design method is introduced. Inspired by the principle of the dynamic similarity hypothesis, this innovative design method is proposed to design suitable thigh joint motors for a specific quadruped robot, which avoids complex kinematic modeling and calculations. Therefore, this method offers advantages, such as reduced time expenditure, heightened efficiency, precision, and cost savings in thigh joint motor design. To establish a clear understanding of the relationships between joint torque, speed requirements, and progression speed, thigh joint requirement models are derived. Then, the procedure for designing the thigh joint motor is presented. Finally, the thigh joint motor design principle, proposed in this article, is validated through a combination of simulations and experiments.