Using Tactile Sensing to...
...enhance multilegged robotics locomotion in complex environments
Most robotics efforts nowadays go towards the development of extremely complex algorithms for enhancing locomotion on complex terrains, relying on the so-called computational intelligence. However, such algorithms are highly dependent on vision capabilities, which are often not available in cluttered, dark, narrow environments like search-and-rescue environments are. For this reason, in our lab, our objective is to take advantage of our robot’s mechanical intelligence in order to perform complex locomotion tasks even just using open-loop control systems, which then coupled with simpler algorithms can achieve high-quality results on all terrains.
By definition, centipede robots are long and narrow. The first feature, combined with their spatial redundancy (multiple legs) allows for great stability on every terrain. The second feature allows them to reach environments that most other legged robot cannot. The addition of bio-inspired compliance, bio-inspired tactile sensing, clever closed-loop/learning-based control systems then allows to optimize their performances.
The work presented above rapresents only the first step of a larger series. Future work, in collaboration with the PhD student Juntao He, will involve the design of improved tactile sensing mechanisms, the creation of a learning-based controller, and SLAM applications.