The robotics community has long worked to develop machines capable of capturing the advantages legs offer for traversing unprepared terrain as demonstrated in the biological world. In conjunction with this goal, a parallel objective has been to develop legged robots for operation in environments designed for and around human beings, with particular focus on machines that can assist and interact with humans. Bipeds are of unique interest for this latter goal primarily because human beings are bipeds themselves. The target environments of operation already favor a bipedal structure, and the upright posture of bipeds facilitates assistance of humans. In addition, a bipedal structure offers relative simplicity in that two legs are the minimum number required for locomotion with a walking gait. For any legged machine to effectively function in a realistic environment, however, it must be capable of more than just statically-stable walking. It must be able to execute dynamic movements without compromising its stability. In this regard also, bipeds possess the advantage of simplicity over other multi-legged platforms in terms of controlling complex, dynamic movements. As a research subject, the biped offers a comprehensive range of dynamic behaviors for study without the complexity of leg sequencing encountered in a quadruped, particularly with respect to asymmetric gaits. Thus, study of a bipedal system allows a focus on dynamic behaviors and stability issues.
Kenneth Waldron
Waldron works in diverse areas of mechanical design, robotics, and biomechanics. His current activities include design and testing of a quadrupedal galloping machine, haptic simulation of surgical procedures and methodology for design for manufacturability.
Last modified Tue, 2 Oct, 2012 at 23:43
| Title | Author(s) | Journal | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analyzing Bounding and Galloping Using Simple Models | K.J. Waldron; J. Estremera; P.J. Csonka; S.P.N. Singh | ASME Transactions J. Mechanisms and Robotics | 02-2009 |
| Thrust Control, Stabilization and Energetics of a Quadruped Running Robot | J. Estremera; K.J. Waldron | International Journal of Robotics Research | 10-2008 |
| Springer Handbook of Robotics | B. Siciliano; O. Khatib | 05-2008 | |
| An Optimal Traction Control Scheme for Off-Road Operation of Robotic Vehicles | K.J. Waldron, M.E. Abdallah | IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics | 04-2007 |
| Efficient Formulation of the Force Distribution Equations for General Tree-Structured Robotic Mechanisms with a Mobile Base | M.H. Hung; D.E. Orin; K.J. Waldron | IEEE Transactions on Systems | 01-2000 |
| The Effect of Drag on Gait Selection in Dynamic Quadrupedal Locomotion | J.P. Schmiedeler; K.J. Waldron | International Journal of Robotics Research | 12-1999 |
| Drafting a New Plan for Design | K.J. Waldron | Mechanical Engineering, Design Supplement | 11-1999 |
| Kinematics, Dynamics and Design of Machinery | K.J. Waldron; G.L. Kinzel | 09-1998 |
Dedicated Service Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineers Society of Automotive Engineers, Ralph R. Teetor Award (1977) American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Leonardo da Vinci Award (1988) The Ohio State University, Distinguished Scholar Award (1988) ASME, Mechanisms Committee Award (1990) American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Machine Design Award (1994) American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Distinguished Lecturer Program (1996-99) Robotics Industries Association, Joseph F. Engelberger Award (1997)
: The investigator proposes to develop a comprehensive theory for the design of robotic mechanisms with which human users interact physically, and that do not follow either the serial chain or fully parallel architectures that have been the focus of most studies reported in the literature. Many of the elements of such a theory are already available, but there are notational and sequential problems that must be solved before a fully integrated formulation is possible. Further, robotic mechanisms that interact with the environment in which they operate effectively change their kinematic configuration every time they establish contact with, or break contact with a fixed object. This has profound implications for the stability and performance of the controllers used with the actuators of the mechanism. A system is proposed for reconfiguring the controller system appropriately whenever a change of this nature occurs.
The objective of this work is to establish a systematic methodology for conducting the design of such mechanisms. In this restricted, but still diverse domain, a comprehensive mathematical theory is possible implying the possibility of formulating a formal procedure for conducting the design process. We propose to formulate the appropriate formalisms, while retaining the important creative elements of the design process.
A particularly fruitful source of design problems within this domain is the design of mechanisms to aid the handicapped. We propose to validate the methodology by employing it to design several examples of such mechanisms. The element of physical interaction with a human user is an important feature. Solution of such problems very frequently leads to mechanism configurations that do not conform to either the serial chain or fully parallel mechanism architectures. Further, human beings in general, and impaired persons in particular are enormously variable in their capabilities and preferences leading to a need for such mechanisms to be flex
