Glenn Colvin

CB : a humanoid research platform for exploring neuroscience

This paper presents a 50-d.o.f. humanoid robot, Computational Brain (CB). CB is a humanoid robot created for exploring the underlying processing of the human brain while dealing with the real world. We place our investigations within real—world contexts, as humans do. In so doing, we focus on utilizing a system that is closer to humans—in sensing, kinematics configuration and performance. We present the real-time network-based architecture for the control of all 50 d.o.f. The controller provides full position/velocity/force sensing and control at 1 kHz, allowing us the flexibility in deriving various forms of control. A dynamic simulator is also presented; the simulator acts as a realistic testbed for our controllers and acts as a common interface to our humanoid robots. A contact model developed to allow better validation of our controllers prior to final testing on the physical robot is also presented. Three aspects of the system are highlighted in this paper: (i) physical power for walking, (ii) full-body compliant control—physical interactions and (iii) perception and control—visual ocular-motor responses.

CB: A Humanoid Research Platform for Exploring NeuroScience

This paper presents a 50 degrees of freedom humanoid robot, CB -Computational Brain. CB is a humanoid robot created for exploring the underlying processing of the human brain while dealing with the real world. We place our investigations within real world contexts, as humans do. In so doing, we focus on utilising a system that is closer to humans - in sensing, configuration and performance. The real-time network-based control architecture for the control of all 50 degrees of freedom will be presented. The controller provides full position/velocity/force sensing and control at 1 KHz, allowing us the flexibility in deriving various forms of control schemes. Three aspects of the system are highlighted in this paper: 1) physical power for walking; 2) full-body compliant control - physical interactions; 3) perception and control - visual ocular-motor responses