Online Balanced Motion Generation for Humanoid Robots

TL;DR

This paper presents an analytical, whole-body motion generator for humanoid robots that simplifies complex control problems by modeling the robot as a system of point-masses and generating stable poses through inverse pendulum principles, suitable for low-feedback platforms.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analytical approach for humanoid motion generation using simplified mass models and inverse pendulum concepts, enabling stable motions on inexpensive, limited-feedback robots.

Findings

Successfully generated stable poses and motions on a humanoid robot.

Demonstrated disturbance rejection and tracking error minimization.

Validated approach with experiments on an igus Humanoid Open Platform.

Abstract

Reducing the complexity of higher order problems can enable solving them in analytical ways. In this paper, we propose an analytic whole body motion generator for humanoid robots. Our approach targets inexpensive platforms that possess position controlled joints and have limited feedback capabilities. By analysing the mass distribution in a humanoid-like body, we find relations between limb movement and their respective CoM positions. A full pose of a humanoid robot is then described with five point-masses, with one attached to the trunk and the remaining four assigned to each limb. The weighted sum of these masses in combination with a contact point form an inverted pendulum. We then generate statically stable poses by specifying a desired upright pendulum orientation, and any desired trunk orientation. Limb and trunk placement strategies are utilised to meet the reference CoM position. A set of these poses is interpolated to achieve stable whole body motions. The approach is evaluated by performing several motions with an igus Humanoid Open Platform robot. We demonstrate the extendability of the approach by applying basic feedback mechanisms for disturbance rejection and tracking error minimisation.