David E. Orin

Robot dynamics: equations and algorithms

This paper reviews some of the accomplishments in the field of robot dynamics research, from the development of the recursive Newton-Euler algorithm to the present day. Equations and algorithms are given for the most important dynamics computations, expressed in a common notation to facilitate their presentation and comparison.

Efficient algorithm for optimal force distribution-the compact-dual LP method

An efficient algorithm, the compact-dual linear programming (LP) method, is presented to solve the force distribution problem. In this method, the general solution of the linear equality constraints is obtained by transforming the underspecified matrix into row-reduced echelon form; then, the linear equality constraints of the force distribution problem are eliminated. In addition, the duality theory of linear programming is applied. The resulting method is applicable to a wide range of systems, constraints, and objective functions and yet is computationally efficient. The significance of this method is demonstrated by solving the force distribution problem of a grasping system under development at Ohio State called DIGITS. With two fingers grasping an object and hard point contact with friction considered, the CPU time on a VAX-11/785 computer is only 1.47 ms. If four fingers are considered and a linear programming package in the IMSL library is utilized, the CPU time is then less than 45 ms. >

Efficient Computation of the Jacobian for Robot Manipulators

This paper discucsses and compares six different methods for calculating the Jacobian for a general N-degree-of freedom manipulator. We enumerate the computational efficiency of each in terms of the total number of multiplications, addi tions/subtractions, and trigonometric functions required as well as in terms of the number of matrix-vector operations needed. We also give the execution times on a PDP-11/70 minicomputer for determining the Jacobian for an example seven-degree-of-freedom manipulator. This paper formulates one of the best new methods for determining the Jacobian.

A compliant contact model with nonlinear damping for simulation of robotic systems

Contact modeling is an important aspect of simulation of many robotic tasks. In the paper, a compliant contact model with nonlinear damping is investigated, and many previously unknown characteristics of the model are developed. Compliance is used to eliminate many of the problems associated with using rigid body models with Coulomb friction, while the use of nonlinear damping eliminates the discontinuous impact forces and most sticky tensile forces which arise in Kelvin-Voigt linear models. Two of the most important characteristics of the model are the dependence of the coefficient of restitution on velocity and damping in a physically meaningful manner, and its computational simplicity. A full mathematical development for an impact response is given, along with the effects of the system and model parameters on energy loss. A quasistatic analysis gives results which are consistent with energy loss characteristics of a more complex distributed foundation model under sustained contact conditions. A foot contact example for a walking machine is given which demonstrates the applicability of the model for impact on foot placement, sustained contact during the support phase, and the breaking of the contact upon liftoff of the foot.

Efficient dynamic simulation of an underwater vehicle with a robotic manipulator

In this paper, an efficient dynamic simulation algorithm is developed for an underwater robotic vehicle (URV) with a manipulator. It is based on previous work on efficient O(N) algorithms, where N is the number of links in the manipulator, and has been extended to include the effects of a mobile base (the URV body). In addition, the various hydrodynamic forces exerted on these systems in underwater environments are also incorporated into the simulation. The effects modeled in this work are added mass, viscous drag, fluid acceleration, and buoyancy forces. With efficient implementation of the resulting algorithm, the amount of computation with inclusion of the hydrodynamics is almost double that of the original algorithm for a six degree-of-freedom land-based manipulator with a mobile base. Nevertheless, the amount of computation still only grows linearly with the number of degrees of freedom in the manipulator. >

Simulation of contact using a nonlinear damping model

In this paper, a simple nonlinear contact model is presented for use in computer simulation. The nonlinear model is shown to maintain the computational simplicity of the linear model while addressing many of its deficiencies. One such advantage is that contact forces vary continuously over time. A new phase plane solution for the nonlinear model is obtained which reveals many previously unnoted properties. These include proper variation of the coefficient of restitution with impact velocity over a wide range of impact velocities, independence of model parameters, and lack of tensile (sticking) forces in simple impacts. An example is presented which demonstrates the use of the contact model in simulating the foot-ground interaction during the locomotion cycle of a walking machine.

System Design of a Quadrupedal Galloping Machine

In this paper we present the system design of a machine that we have constructed to study a quadrupedal gallop gait. The gallop gait is the preferred high-speed gait of most cursorial quadrupeds. To gallop, an animal must generate ballistic trajectories with characteristic strong impacts, coordinate leg movements with asymmetric footfall phasing, and effectively use compliant members, all the while maintaining dynamic stability. In this paper we seek to further understand the primary biological features necessary for galloping by building and testing a robotic quadruped similar in size to a large goat or antelope. These features include high-speed actuation, energy storage, on-line learning control, and high-performance attitude sensing. Because body dynamics are primarily influenced by the impulses delivered by the legs, the successful design and control of single leg energetics is a major focus of this work. The leg stores energy during flight by adding tension to a spring acting across an articulated knee. During stance, the spring energy is quickly released using a novel capstan design. As a precursor to quadruped control, two intelligent strategies have been developed for verification on a one-legged system. The Levenberg-Marquardt on-line learning method is applied to a simple heuristic controller and provides good control over height and forward velocity. Direct adaptive fuzzy control, which requires no system modeling but is more computationally expensive, exhibits better response. Using these techniques we have been successful in operating one leg at speeds necessary for a dynamic gallop of a machine of this scale. Another necessary component of quadruped locomotion is high-resolution and high-bandwidth attitude sensing. The large ground impact accelerations, which cause problems for any single traditional sensor, are overcome through the use of an inertial sensing approach using updates from optical sensors and vehicle kinematics.

Centroidal dynamics of a humanoid robot

The center of mass (CoM) of a humanoid robot occupies a special place in its dynamics. As the location of its effective total mass, and consequently, the point of resultant action of gravity, the CoM is also the point where the robot’s aggregate linear momentum and angular momentum are naturally defined. The overarching purpose of this paper is to refocus our attention to centroidal dynamics: the dynamics of a humanoid robot projected at its CoM. In this paper we specifically study the properties, structure and computation schemes for the centroidal momentum matrix (CMM), which projects the generalized velocities of a humanoid robot to its spatial centroidal momentum. Through a transformation diagram we graphically show the relationship between this matrix and the well-known joint-space inertia matrix. We also introduce the new concept of “average spatial velocity” of the humanoid that encompasses both linear and angular components and results in a novel decomposition of the kinetic energy. Further, we develop a very efficient

Intelligent control of quadruped gallops

O(N)