LEAP Robot
The design and control of an untethered, energetically autonomous hopping robot.
Disney Research
Specifications
| Servomotors | Dynamixel MX-64T | |
| Thigh link mass | 0.31 | kg |
| Sensor | Xsens MTi-3- 8A7G6-DK | |
| Foot link mass | 0.23 | kg |
| Torso link mass | 1.41 | kg |
| Power | 7 | 11.1V 1300mAh LiPo batteries |
| Microcontroller | Texas Instruments LAUNCHXL-F28377S | |
| IMU sensor | Xsens MTi-3- 8A7G6-DK | |
| Servomotors | 2 | Dynamixel MX-64T |
Overview
The thrust-producing mechanism of the robot’s leg is an actuated prismatic joint, called a linear elastic actuator in parallel (LEAP). The LEAP mechanism comprises a voice coil actuator in parallel with two compression springs, which gives our robot passive compliance. An actuated gimbal hip joint is realized by two standard servomotors. To control the robot, the team adapted Raibert’s hopping controller, and find they can maintain balance roughly in place for up to approx. 7 seconds (19 hops) while continuously hopping.
References
Provides a hardware description of the robot, details the method to estimate center-of-mass velocity, and presents the locomotion controller. Gives an overview of the simulation environment and optimized controller, and presents the results of a physical experiment. Lastly, the results are discussed
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