Lian, Yunlong ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4230-1402 (2024) Design, modelling and control of a quadruped robot with a bionic spine. PhD thesis, University of York.
Abstract
It has always been a challenge to make quadruped robots achieve flexible, fast, and robust movements like quadruped animals. From a mechanical structure perspective, most existing quadruped robots lack a bionic spine, which plays a critical role in locomotion. This thesis investigates the design, implementation, and control of a quadruped robot with a tensegrity spine, called TQbot, to improve gait performance and adaptability in various terrains.
Two bio-inspired spines based on tensegrity structures are developed for quadruped robots. They have three degrees of freedom (DOF) and can move in the roll, pitch, and yaw directions simultaneously, featuring both passive and active components to mimic the vertebrae and surrounding muscles in an animal spine. However, TQbot has a total of 15 degrees of freedom—three in each leg and in the spine joints—which makes the control system and gait generation complicated. Thus, a central pattern generator (CPG) model was designed and implemented to generate coordinated leg-spine gaits. It is enhanced by integrating proprioceptive feedback, enabling TQbot to adapt to uneven terrains.
This work aims to explore how the bio-inspired spine contributes to the gait of quadruped robots and to determine the extent to which it improves gait performance. A series of experiments in both simulations and real-world scenarios were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the spine in different gaits, including walking, trotting, pacing, and bounding. The results highlight that the spine improves speed and gait efficiency while helping to maintain stability, particularly in uneven terrain conditions. Furthermore, the experiments revealed that the phase relationship between spinal movement and leg movement is critical for optimal gait performance.
Based on the obtained results, the thesis concludes with a discussion on the impact of the bio-inspired spine on quadruped robots, providing insights into the design of legged robots with advanced locomotion capabilities. Recommendations for further work include refining the spine's control algorithms and extending the model to more complex environments.
Metadata
Supervisors: | Post, Mark and Tyrrell, Andy |
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Related URLs: | |
Keywords: | Bionic spine, Tensegrity, Central Pattern Generators, Robot Reinforcement Learning. |
Awarding institution: | University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > School of Physics, Engineering and Technology (York) |
Depositing User: | Mr Yunlong Lian |
Date Deposited: | 29 Jan 2025 12:50 |
Last Modified: | 29 Jan 2025 12:50 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:etheses.whiterose.ac.uk:36206 |
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Examined Thesis (PDF)
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_thesis_final.pdf
Description: Final version of the examined thesis
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_CPG-based.mp4
Description: Video supplementary material for published paper
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_pitch_exp25.MOV
Description: Spine configuration I, pitch 25 degrees movement experiment
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_pitch_exp-25.MOV
Description: Spine configuration I, pitch -25 degrees movement experiment
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_roll_exp25.MOV
Description: Spine configuration I, roll 25 degrees movement experiment
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_roll_exp-25.MOV
Description: Spine configuration I, roll -25 degrees movement experiment
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_yaw_exp25.MOV
Description: Spine configuration I, yaw 25 degrees movement experiment
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_yaw_exp-25.MOV
Description: Spine configuration I, yaw -25 degrees movement experiment
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_Spine Configuration II_rpy_20.mp4
Description: Spine configuration II, roll, pitch, yaw 20 degrees movement experiments
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_walk_nospine.mp4
Description: walk gait without spine movement
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_trot_spine.mp4
Description: trot gait with learned spine movement on flat ground
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_bound_nospine.mp4
Description: bound gait without spine movement
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_walk_spine.mp4
Description: walk gait with learned spine movement on flat ground
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_bound_spine.mp4
Description: Bound gait with learned spine movement on flat ground
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_trot_rough_nolearn.mp4
Description: trot gait without learning sensory feedback on rough terrain
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_pace_nospine.mp4
Description: pace gait without spine movement on flat ground
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_trot_nospine.mp4
Description: Trot gait without spine movement on flat ground
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_trot_rough_learn_all.mp4
Description: trot gait with learned all sensory feedback on rough ground
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_pace_spine.mp4
Description: Pace gait with learned spine movement on flat ground
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Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_trot_rough_learn_amp.mp4
Description: trot gait with learned amplitude sensory feedback on rough ground
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Supplementary Material
Filename: Yunlong_205002091_trot_rough_learn_offset.mp4
Description: trot gait with learned offset sensory feedback on rough ground
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