Title: Design and analysis of compliant spine based on series elastic actuator of a quadruped robot

Authors: Chenglin Lei; Yuegang Tan; Hongwu Tao; Linkao Huang

Addresses: School of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China ' School of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China ' School of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China ' School of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China

Abstract: The spine of most quadruped robots is rigid due to quadruped robots' lack of compliant spines, which play an important role in the flexible movement of quadruped mammals. Due to the lack of coordination of the spine, quadruped robot has not fully achieved the smooth, stable and light gait motion like quadruped mammals. Therefore, a series of compliant spinal mechanism of two joint based on series elastic actuators is proposed and force servo control and system integration around with structure characteristic are studied. Based on the movement and shape of spine under high-speed movement of quadruped mammals, the movement and force of spinal joint are analysed. The dynamic model of compliant spinal joint was established by force source method. The effect of equivalent joint stiffness on system stability and dynamic response was analysed by simulation. PID control was used to control the output torque of spinal joint. The results of simulation and experiment show that the series of compliant spine has high precision of torque tracking. In the meanwhile, it also shows the stability and reliability of spinal mechanism and its control system. [Submitted 29 May 2019; Accepted 3 August 2020]

Keywords: quadruped robot; compliant spine; series elastic actuator; SEA; force source control model.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMR.2022.125025

International Journal of Manufacturing Research, 2022 Vol.17 No.2, pp.202 - 217

Received: 29 May 2019
Accepted: 03 Aug 2020
Published online: 22 Aug 2022 *

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