Force Sensors in Hexapod Locomotion

Abstract

Collaborative work in the field initially arose from the recognition that studies of animal locomotion could provide insights in solving complex problems in the design and control of mobile machines For example, some animals are remarkably successful at efficiently traversing irregular and non-horizontal terrains with great agility. Understanding the principles of leg and foot structure and the neural mechanisms of control of limb movements provides insights that can be emulated in the construction and regulation of legged robots to similar advantage. These insights have been successfully applied both to legged machines that resemble animals in their design and to robots that incorporate these principles more abstractly These interactions have also been mutually beneficial in providing biologists with new methods to analyze living systems Computer simulations of walking have been completed for a variety of animals (cats, insects, humans) using control systems that reproduce elements of biological sense organs, muscles and neural pattern generators In some studies, robots and computer control systems have been directly interfaced with animal nervous systems to analyze the properties of neural networks (Szcs et al., 2000). The engineering method of Finite Element Analysis has also emerged as an important tool in analyzing biological structures. It has been applied to problems as diverse as understanding the biomechanics of extinct animal species It has also been utilized in neuroscience in analysis of biological sense organs to understand their mechanisms of transduction of mechanical forces This chapter describes studies we have