Improving Terrain Adaptability and Compliance in Closed-Chain Leg: Design, Control, and Testing

Abstract This study investigates a novel design of a reconfigurable closed-chain leg for hexapod robot with enhanced terrain adaptability. A length adjustable hydraulic cylinder is incorporated into the Theo Jansen linkage in the proposed reconfigurable closed-chain leg, allowing for flexible trajectory by adjusting the length of the hydraulic cylinder. Kinematic model and system dynamics are analyzed considering the multi-body dynamics of the proposed system. To actively adapt to different terrains with flexible footprints, a variable-domain sliding mode control strategy to adjust the length of hydraulic cylinder is investigated and compared with other control strategies. Meanwhile, an active compliant control strategy of the driving motor is analyzed and deployed to improve the stability and compliance during walking. A prototype was fabricated and tested under various configurations. Results demonstrate that the variable-domain sliding mode control algorithm exhibits fast convergence, robustness, and smooth signals for hydraulic cylinder. In addition, the proposed active compliant control strategy of the driving motor can reduce the impact force and ensure stable equilibrium during walking. Therefore, the proposed reconfigurable closed-chain leg can enhance the terrain adaptability and enrich the applications of closed-chain legged robots.