Concept of combining adaptable passive behaviour with an active control structure using Pleated Pneumatic Artificial Muscles for the bipedal robot LUCY

摘要

Abstract. This paper reports on the concept of combining passive behaviour with an active control strategy using Pleated Pneumatic Artificial Muscles. These actuators have a very high power to weight ratio and an inherent adaptable compliance which makes them extremely suitable for legged machines. Lucy, our Bipedal robot, is equipped with these muscles in order to walk in a dynamically stable way while the adaptable compliance will be used to alter the natural dynamics of the system. The paper presents the concept of the Pleated Pneumatic Artificial Muscle and its characteristics. It shows the implementation of these muscles to actuate a rotative joint and discusses briefly the low-level controller designed to settle the pressures in each muscle. For the high-level controller the philosophy of combining passive behaviour with an active control strategy will be considered while explaining in detail the adaptability of the compliance. The different concepts of our design for Lucy will be discussed. Special attention will be given to the flexibility of the mechanical construction and the elaborate control hardware hereby focussing on the modularity for both mechanical and electronic design. 1