The Real Time Control of Modular Walking Robot Stability

LUIGE VLADAREANU1, ION ION2, LUCIAN M. VELEA3

DANIEL MITROI4, ALEXANDRU GAL2
1
Institute of Solid Mechanics of Romanian Academy, C-tin Mille 15, Bucharest 1, ROMANIA,
2
Politechnica University of Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei 125, Bucharest 5, Romania
3
Industrial Engineering and Technology VTC-Srl, Burla Vasile 24, Bucharest 6, ROMANIA
4
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, C-tin Daicoviciu 15, Cluj-Napoca, ROMANIA
luigiv@arexim.ro; www.acad.ro

Abstract. The paper presents an open architecture system for real time control of stability for modular walking
robots with applications in the MERO structured walking robots. Starting with direct and inverted kinematic
modelling of the movement of walking robots, determining the mathematical equations in Cartesian coordinates for
the support point Pi, found at the extremity of the leg i, in relation to the system attached to the platform and through
quasi-dynamic analysis of the mathematical modelling for defining the walking type, the speed and the direction of
movement, the robot’s stability control algorithm has been deduced. For stability control an open architecture
system has been developed which ensures a real time hybrid position-force control in which the position error θes
representation is given in relation to a squared Jacobean matrix of maximum rank, a selection matrix S and a
pseudo-invert (SJ)+ of the SJ matrix. The obtained results have allowed the graphical determination of the walking
robot model’s reply to round the coordinate axis rotation and have led to an improvement in the response time to
disturbances and to following the movement trajectory in conditions of high stability.

Key-Words: robot real-time control, walking robot stability, hybrid position-force control, multi-microprocessor
system.

1. Introduction preparation of the manner in which tasks are

The robust and safe functioning of walking
robots in contact with objects in their
surroundings is the basic requirement for
accomplishing the given tasks in conformity
with the applications. The stable control of the
robot-object interaction implies a difficult
problem from a technical point of view. Hence,
for the contact control deemed “position
adaptation,” Whitney (1977) proposes a simple
method in which the force of contact is used for
modifying the trajectory of the reference
position of the final effectors of the robot.
Raibert, Craig (1981) and Manson (1980) ensure
the control of force and position, when the robot
is interacting with the environment, by breaking
down the latter in “sub-space of position” and
“sub-space of force.” These two sub-spaces
correspond to the directions of movement of the
robot, free movement or constricted by the
environment, respectively. This approach
determines that certain Cartesian coordinates of
the final effectors of the robot are under control
of position, while others are under explicit
control of force. The separate processing under
different laws governing the control of position
and the control of force requires a significant
accomplished and a change in the control loops
in implementation. Additionally, this method
may generate problems of instability especially
during the transition between free and
constrained movements.
The control of movement of resistance to
bending, which is in essence an implicit control
of force based on position, was suggested by
Lawrence and Stoughton (1987) and Kazerooni,
Waibel, and Kim (1990). Salisbury (1980)
presented a method of active control of the
apparent rigidity of the final effectors of the
robot within the Cartesian space. This method
involves that the reference position is employed
as a command to control the contact force, and
no force reference-points are utilized. To this
end, adaptive and non-linear controllers of force
and resistance-to-bending were developed, that
possess superior stability and enhanced
performance compared to conventional linear
controllers with fixed amplification. Adaptive
controllers utilize the adaptive control approach-
reference model Lyapunov (MRAC), while non-
linear controllers employ the Popov stability
criterion to ensure closed-circuit stability.
There is an ever growing interest for this issue
(e.g. see Pelletier and Daneshmend 1990; Lacky
and Hsia 1991, Chan 1991). Pelletier and
Daneshmend (1990) present a schema of the
adaptive controlling device in order to
compensate for the variations in environment
rigidity during movement by employing the
mechanism of attenuation control; however, they
have discovered that the schema is subject to
instability. Lasky and Hsia (1991) outline a
system of controlling device consisting of the
conventional control device of impedance in the
interior loop and of the controlling device
modifying the trajectory in the exterior loop so
as to convey the force; however their schema is
based on the theory and calculation of the
manipulative dynamics model. Chan (1991)
develops a schema of the controlling device with
variable structure for the controlling device of
the resisting impedance in the presence of
incertitude of parameters and of the external
perturbations; nevertheless, this strategy requires
Fig. 1. The movement system of the walking robot
with three degrees of mobility
The mechanism, alongside the
triggering system, the position translators, and
sensors of contact and force constitute a module
of the movement system (fig.1) deemed the leg
of the robot. The cinematic modeling of the
modular walking robot is done according to the
following algorithm: (1) the inverted cinematic
modeling of the legs mechanism,(2) the direct
and inverted cinematic modeling of the legs’
fulcrums Pi in relation with the geometric center
O of the walking robot, (3) the cinematic
modeling of the robot in relation to a fixed
point.
The inverted cinematic analysis of the
robot’s movement mechanism seeks to
determine the variables of active couples, as
well as the latter’s derivatives relative to time,
according to the position of the Pi point and of
the exact knowledge of environment location
and rigidity in order to obtain the exact force
controlling device.
2. The direct and inverted
cinematic modeling
For the real-time control of modular walking
robots, initially the direct and inverted cinematic
modeling was executed, together with
determining the mathematical equations
expressed in Cartesian coordinates of the
fulcrum Pi located at the extremity of the leg i, in
connection with the system attached to the
platform. The system of movement of the
walking robot here studied contains a spatial
mechanism with three degrees of mobility and is
operated by 3 linear electrical motors.
Fig. 2. The Denavit –Hartenberg system of axis
attached to the HFPC MERO modular walking robot
the element (3), with which the leg is in contact
in the phase of sustainment, and its speed and
acceleration, respectively. Subsequently, the
study and analysis is focused on the
mathematical model of the movement system for
a walking robot with 3 modules with two legs
each, symmetrically displayed in relation to the
axis of the platform, with the movement of the
robot alongside the axis of the platform (fig.2).
To the right-side legs – with reference to the
direction of movement – numerical values are
assigned thus 2i, i = 1, 6 , whereas for the left-
side legs the formula 2i−1, i = 1, 6 is employed.
It is assumed that the walking robot moves
rectilinearly, on a horizontal plane. The gravity
center of the robot is within the geometric
circles, which is described by the intersection of
the diagonals of the platform base, which is
shaped like a parallelepiped. The weights of the
legs are sufficiently small in comparison to that
of the platform, so that their movement in
relation to the platform does not influence the
position of the center of gravity.
The quasi-dynamic analysis of modeling
The formulation of a sufficiently complex
mathematical model for studying the walking
robot’s movement is noteworthy from the
perspective of the configuration of the high
quality robot command system, as well as from
the perspective of verification of simplifying
principles and hypotheses that are at the basis of
the algorithms employed in constructing the
command programs. The existence of this type
of walking robot model enables the highlighting
and discarding of a considerable part of the
studied algorithm’s hypothesis beginning with
the design stage, and its employment for
Z
O
X
b c
Fig. 3. The quasi-dynamic analysis of modeling
Models of the angular measures Ψ, θ
and γ in connection to the projections ωx, ωy, ωz
were realized, leading to the subsequent
equations:
ψɺ = (ω z cos γ − ω x sin γ ) / cosθ ,
θɺ = ω cos γ + ω sin γ ,
x z (1)
γɺ = ω y −ψɺ sin γ .
The equations of the body’s movements were
determined as follows:
mξɺɺ=∑i NiΨ +Fξ ;mηɺɺ=∑i Niη +Fη;mςɺɺ=∑i Niς +Fς ;
Jxωɺx =Mx −(Jz −Jy )ωω
y z ; Jyωy = My −(Jx − Jz )ωω
ɺ z x;
Jzωɺz =Mz −(Jy Jx )ωω
x y,
where N i = N iξ i + N iη j + N iζ k represents
the reaction force from the fulcrum of leg i,
which designates the position of the extremity of
this leg, the vector F represents the resultant of
computer simulations requires less time and
work. To this end, the quasi-dynamic analysis
of mathematical modeling was realized, which
defines the walking time, the speed, and the
direction of movement of walking robots.
For the purpose of modeling , the premise was
that the robot consisted of a solid body (i.e. the
platform) which is sustained by legs with
negligible masses. The activation is performed
with the aid of forces or of motor momentums,
which are reciprocally applied to the elements
adjacent to the conducting couples of the legs’
mechanisms. The positions of the OXYZ central
axes, in relation to the absolute ones, are
characterized by the coordinates of the mass
center of the robot, which is located in the origin
of the Oξηζ system, and through the Ψ, θ and γ
angles (fig. 3).
Z
Y
Y 2
l2
X
l3
3 P
all the other forces applied to the robot, m – the
mass of the platform, Jx, Jy, Jz – the momentums
of inertia of the platform, M - the vector of the
momentum of all the forces applied to the robot
in relation to the center of masses.
The mathematical modeling of the gravity
centre’s position for controlling the robots’
walking stability. With the purpose of studying
the walking stability of robots, the starting point
was the Lagrange equations [1], deemed to be a
system with 3N degrees of freedom,
respectively:
(2)
d ∂E ∂E ∂V
( )− + = Qi (3)
dt ∂qi
ɺ ∂qi ∂qi
i = 1, 2, …,3N,
where qi represents the generalized coordinate,
qɺ i is the generalized speed, V is the total
potential energy of the robot system, E
represents the total kinetic energy, while Qi
represents the generalized force.
The mathematical modeling of the walking
robot’s stability, bearing in mind the results
obtained in modeling the gravity centre [2] and
considering that the forces Fi and the
momentums Mi applied to each cinematic
element are equal for a pair of legs (left -right),
so that the movement begun in the XOZ plane
c+l 4
J y ɺθɺ = ∑ Mi + 2 P( F4 − F2 ) + mgc
l i =1
where l represents the length of the leg in a
situation of equilibrium, m is the mass of the
walking robot, Jy is the momentum of inertia of
the walking robot in relation to the OY axis.
Ultimately, the algorithm of control of the
robot’s stability is obtained through linearization
of the angles and of the lengths of the robot’s
legs, in accordance with the relations:
ɺxɺ = c x + c xɺ + c θ + c θɺ
1 2 3 4
ɺzɺ = c5 ( z − z 0 ) + c6 zɺ
ϕɺɺ = c x + c xɺ + c θ + c θɺ
7 8 9 10 (7)
ɺyɺ = c y + c yɺ + c ϕ + c ϕɺ
11 12 13 14
ɺϕɺ = c y + c yɺ + c ϕ + c ϕɺ
15 16 17 18
ψ
ɺɺ = c ψ + c ψɺ
19 20
Therefore, the problem referring to the stability
of the command is reduced to determining the
inherent values of the system. In order to obtain
a stable command in case of small perturbations,
it is necessary and sufficient to select the
correction coefficient k so as to determine that
all the corresponding values have real negative
parts.
3. Real-time control, force-position
hybrid
Improving the performances of the hybrid
force-position control system through the
reduction of cinematic instabilities. Starting
from the method proposed by Craig and
Raibert [3], which is a reference point in the
force-position hybrid control, Zhang and Paul
[4] have modified the regime of hybrid control
from a Cartesian formulation to a formulation of
articulations’ space using the same method of
separation of force and position constraints from
the Cartesian framework. More recently, An and
Hollerbach [5] have proven that some methods
remains in the same plane, with reference to
figure 3, has determined the subsequent
equations:
x + cθ 1 4
mxɺɺ = mg + ∑ Mi (4)
l l i =1
4
mɺzɺ = mg +
∑ Fi (5)
i =1
c + (c + l )
θ (6 )
l
of force control, comprising the hybrid control,
are unstable. Zhang [6] has shown that the
hybrid control system may become unstable in
certain configurations of the robot, especially
when revolute articulations are used. Under
these conditions, analyzing the solutions
proposed by Fisher and Mujtaba [7], certain
improvements have been made to the HFPC
walking robots’ control system, thus
demonstrating that the hybrid control system is a
consistent, stable and robust approach of robot
control.
The stability of the system is the result of
cinematic, dynamic, and control laws
interactions. The ensuing conditions of stability
have been defined:
1) the internal product between the orthogonal
projections of the vectors operating under
normal circumstances(e.g. xe, and θ es ) and the
corresponding transformed vectors attributable
to the selection matrix (e.g. xes and θ es ) must be
greater than, or equal to, zero.
2) the vectors’ norms, for any potential growth
in dimension of the former, beginning with the
norms of the vectors calculated under normal
circumstances (e.g. xe and θ e ) all the way
through the norms of the vectors calculated with
the aid of the selection matrix (e.g. xes and θ es ),
must fulfill the requirement: || v2 ||≤|| v1 || , where
a projection matrix P is considered in the
vectorial space ℝ n and two associated vectors
v1 , v2 ∈ ℝ n .
3) testing the cinematic stability in the Cartesian
space, which implies that the selected Cartesian
errors, proceeding from the desired values and
concluding with the real ones, will never be
displayed in the opposite direction with regard
to the calculated Cartesian values, nor do they
have a greater norm.
4) the verification of the cinematic stability in
the articulation space, which presupposes
verifying the solution of the correct position and
verifying the solution of the initial position; It is
demonstrable that, in the generalized system of
hybrid control, for the correct solution of
position for θ es there can always be found a zθ
Process 1
XP=A*1...A*3
(4*4)
Xc
Processing
Jacobian
Desired XD
S (SJ)
6* (3*1) ∆XP
Process 2
Process 8
Desired XFD
I-S
6* (3*1)
∆XF
Processing
Jacobian
XF
Xc=A*1...A*3
(4*4)
Process 7
Fig. 4. The architecture of the HFPC hybrid control system
By employing the solution of the minimal norm
as a transformation from the Cartesian space
into the space of the robot’s articulations, it can
be demonstrated that the norm of the selected
articulations’ errors will never be greater than
the norm of the articulations’ errors produced by
Cartesian errors under normal circumstances of
position control. The solution of the minimal
norm for θ es guarantees that the linear
transformation from the Cartesian space to the
space of the robot’s articulations will never
generate a vector in the opposite direction of the
projected vector, θ es , and will not cause a
growth in the norm of the articulation’s error
vector, therefore, it will always remain a stable
cinematic system.
By virtue of these criteria, a stable hybrid
architecture of control was developed, put forth
in figure 4, in which (SJ)+ is a pseudo-reverse of
the SJ matrix. There are two matrixes of
projection associated to each vectorial space,
which will divide a vector with the aid of the
transformation of the SJ matrix, into two
perpendicular components. The pseudo-inverted
to satisfy the requirements of cinematic stability.
Additionally, through the introduction of
positive feedback in the framework of the
control system, the constraint may become
negative for certain configurations of the robot,
which may determine system instability.
θPi
6∗θ P i (3*1)
Process 3
OAH
Process 4
+
(J)
Process 5
+ OPEN
∆θ P FUZZY
∆θ
LOGIC ARCH.
T CONTROL
(Sf J) SYSREM
∆θF
Process 11
T
( J)
Process 10
Process 9
θFi
6∗θ F i (3*1)
matrix is obtained by applying a m*m type
projection matrix on a m*n type linear
transformation matrix and vice-versa. The
principal components of the system are the
position control loop and the force control loop.
The position control loop. For any task, the
constraints of position are separated from those
of force by virtue of the selection matrix S. S is
a matrix with a 3 * 3 diagonal, corresponding to
the degrees of freedom of the walking robot’s
leg, having elements either equal to one for
position control, either equal to zero when no
position control exists, thus defining every
degree of freedom in Cartesian reference. The
first step is to determine the errors, either
relevant or selected, of the Cartesian position, as
follows:
xes= Sxe (8)
where the vector of Cartesian error xe is the
difference between the desired Cartesian
locations and the robot’s actual Cartesian
locations. The subsequent step, for the robot’s
control, is the representation of Cartesian errors
xes , in accordance with the θes articulations’
errors. The robot’s Jacobean Matrix J is a first
order approximation required by the
transformation of differential movements form
the articulations space, into differential
movements in the Cartesian space [8]. The
linearity relation is the following :
xe= Jθe (9)
being employed to represent the small errors of
the articulations θe, in relation to the Cartesian
errors xe. An inverted representation (inverted
image) is utilized in the equation:
θ es = ( SJ ) + xe (10)
where J is a square matrix of maximum rank, S
the selection matrix and (SJ)+ is a pseudo-
reverse of the SJ matrix. The architecture of
the walking robots’ control system, employed
in experiments, is presented in figure 5, in which
SCMC is the classic control system, which
directs the servo-actuators MS1, MSm,-with m
being the number of the robots degrees of
freedom-, and receives signals of TM1-TMm
measure. These signals are transmitted to an
OAH
ICF n
...
ICF 3
ICF 2 X1
P
X2 ... Xm
P P
ICF 1
SCMC
XRP
ICMF XR F
F F
X1 X2 ... Xm F
MD
Fig.5. The experimental control system architecture
The force control loop. In force control, the
Cartesian error of force, fe, is calculated as the
difference between the actual force and the
desired one. The main principle of hybrid
control is to control the force in the directions
that aren’t position controlled. These are the
directions in which the geometry is not
technically well defined, or where a certain
contact force is necessary, which leads to an
increasingly difficult position control. By
employing S┴, representing the orthogonal
ICV virtual control interface, which by
processing generates the signals required for the
graphical representation in 3D, or for a
projection in 2D on a TGC graphic module. A
number of n control interfaces functions
ICF1-ICFn ensure the development of a control
system with open architecture by adding a
number of n control functions, supplementary to
those provide by the classical SCMC
mechatronic control, with the aim of allowing
the implementation of the control methods
presented, to which it can be added: contour-
following functions, the tripod walk of a
walking robot, gravity center and orientation
control, by means of image processing. The
ICMF multifunctional control mode of
interfacing ensures the real-time control, the
control of priorities, and the management of
information exchange between the n interfaces
of ICF control functions, interconnected through
a high-speed data bus.
X1
P
XR
P
MS1 F
TM1
X1
P
X2
P
XR , XR
F
MS2 TM2 ICV TGC
P
X2
F
Xm P, X m
F
Xm
MSm TMm
XRF
Xm F
MD
complement of S, the selected Cartesian force
errors, are fes= S┴ fe. The S ┴ matrix is also a
matrix with a 3 * 3 diagonal, having elements
equal to one for force control and equal to zero
when no such force control exists, thus defining
every degree of freedom in a Cartesian
framework of reference. Since force control is
orthogonal relative to the position control, then
S┴ = I- S, where I is the identity matrix. The
definition of S┴ corresponds to the
transformation of the Cartesian force error fe, in
fes. The transpose of the robot’s Jacobean matrix, have been performed regarding trajectory
which transforms the Cartesian forces into control, knowledge of the coordinates of the
momentums corresponding to the robot’s legs’ fulcrum s in relation to its body, as
articulations, is τ=J f. This mathematical
T
well as the coordinates of the body’s position
relation is correct for any J and f, and it is not an during walking in relation to the fulcrums [9].
approximation of T’s calculation. Using, in For simplification purposes, the existence of a
particular, the selected force Cartesian errors, it punctiform contact between the leg and the
follows that the articulations’ momentums support surface is admitted.
selected errors would be
τes=JT fes (11).
This architecture is based on a set of associated
projection matrixes, which allow the partition of
a vector with the aid of the transformation of the
A, into two perpendicular components. Thus
modified, the position-force hybrid control
system ensures all the conditions of stability.
This is primarily due to the fact that the
calculation of the Jacobean reverse matrix,
which can cause cinematic instability in the
position-force hybrid control system, is no
longer necessary.

4. Results and conclusions Fig.6. The model representation of the walking

The graphic determination of the response of
the walking robot to the rotation around the
axes of coordinates. In order to achieve greater
mobility and an increased stability in real life
conditions and for obtaining superior movement
performances on terrains with a configuration
closer to reality, systematic and thorough studies
robot
The results of modeling have shown that the
semi-dynamic walk, as well as the step, may be
stabilized by using the absolute system of
coordinates solely for the angle of rotation and
its corresponding angular speed.

0.1 ψϕ
, ,θ
[rad]
0.08

0.06
ψ
0.04

0.02
θ timp [s]
0
1 2 3 4
ϕ
0.02

Fig. 7. The robot’s response to the initial rotation around the axes of coordinates

For experimental testing, the control system put
forth in figure 5 with the graphic
representations, obtained through mathematical
modeling, presented in figure 6.
Figure 7 presents the response of the MERO
hexapod walking robot to the initial rotation
around the axes of coordinates through the
mathematical modeling of the mechanical
structure.
Figure 8 represents the response of the system to
the initial perturbation, knowing that b and the
series of coefficients cϕ , cϕɺ are null.
 0 .15
b = 0

unghiul de înclinare [rad]

0.1
b = 1

0.05

tim p [ s]
0 b= 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

0.0 5

Fig. 8 The response of the system to the initial perturbation

The results obtained have allowed the graphical Educational Ministry (MEC) and to the
determination of the walking robot model’s Romanian Academy for their support of the
reply to round the coordinate axes rotation and program of work reported herein. The work took
have led to an improvement in the response time place as part of research project no. 263/2007-
to disturbances with up to 20%, and to 2010 in the framework of Grants of CNCSIS
following the movement trajectory with higher Program IDEAS, PN II (National Program for
than 30% precision in conditions of high Scientific Research and Innovation
stability. Technologies).
Acknowledgements. The authors wish to
express their gratitude to the Research and

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