On the Design and Development of a Quadruped Robot Platform

In this paper, we describe the development of a quadruped robot named HuboDog. The objective of this project is to develop a reliable and robust quadruped robot platform that enables the implementation of stable and fast static/dynamic walking on even or uneven terrain, and walking while carrying a payload. A lightweight but highly rigid platform is achieved via a frame-type structure and double-supported beam-type joint design. A small, light but high output power joint actuator is designed with a harmonic reduction gear and electric motor that has high speed and a high output power. A distributed control system is used since it can reduce the computational burden of the main computer and easily extend the electrical components. Microprocessor-based subcontrollers are developed for motor control and sensor signal feedback. The main computer, which is mounted on the trunk, communicates with the subcontroller via the CAN (Controller Area Network) protocol. We used Windows XP as the operating system and have established a real-time control system in Windows XP by using RTX (Real Time eXtension) software. This paper includes design concepts, mechanical system design, system integration and electrical system design. In order to demonstrate the performance of the robot platform, simple experiments were performed. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden and The Robotics Society of Japan, 2010