Contact Assistance for Event-Driven Hexapod Robot with Reaction Force Observer

Developing Multi-Legged Robot as Seamless Mobile Platform in Unpaving Grounds

Abstract

Various transport facilities and traffic environments for Seamless Mobility are being developed worldwide. Most of those project require large-scale infrastructure development, and it is difficult to carry out it in rural towns and unknown environment. Therefore, another solution which doesn’t depend infrastructure development is ultimately required. As a solution, we develop a six-legged robot named ”SOL” for seamlessly navigating various terrains. SOL moves with discrete event-driven control. In this paper, contact assistance method which put SOL’s leg tip in close contact with the ground is proposed.