Design Principles for a Family of Direct-Drive Legged Robots

Gavin D. Kenneally; Avik De; Daniel E. Koditschek

RA-L 2016305 citations

Design Principles for a Family of Direct-Drive Legged Robots

Gavin D. Kenneally, Avik De, Daniel E. Koditschek

Abstract

This letter introduces Minitaur, a dynamically running and leaping quadruped, which represents a novel class of direct-drive (DD) legged robots. We present a methodology that achieves the well-known benefits of DD robot design (transparency, mechanical robustness/efficiency, high-actuation bandwidth, and increased specific power), affording highly energetic behaviors across our family of machines despite severe limitations in specific force. We quantify DD drivetrain benefits using a variety of metrics, compare our machines' performance to previously reported legged platforms, and speculate on the potential broad-reaching value of “transparency” for legged locomotion.

BibTeX

@inproceedings{ral2016_designprinciples,
  title = {Design Principles for a Family of Direct-Drive Legged Robots},
  author = {Gavin D. Kenneally and Avik De and Daniel E. Koditschek},
  booktitle = {RA-L 2016},
  year = {2016}
}