Optimization-Based Quadrupedal Hybrid Wheeled-Legged Locomotion

TL;DR

This paper introduces an optimization-based approach for hybrid wheeled-legged locomotion, enabling robots to coordinate legs and wheels for improved agility, speed, and stability on diverse terrains.

Contribution

It presents a novel trajectory planning method specifically designed for hybrid robots that coordinate leg and wheel movements using optimization techniques.

Findings

Effective trajectory planning for hybrid locomotion demonstrated.

Enhanced stability and speed in navigation tasks.

Coordination of legs and wheels improves terrain adaptability.

Abstract

Hybrid wheeled-legged locomotion is a navigation paradigm only recently opened up by novel robotic designs,e.g. the centaur-type humanoid CENTAURO [1] or the quadruped ANYmal [2] in its configuration featuring non-steerable wheels. The term Hybrid Locomotion is hereafter used to indicate a particular type of locomotion, achieved with simultaneous and coordinate use of legs and wheels,see Fig. 1. Such choice stems at the intersection between legged locomotion and the simpler wheeled navigation, in order to get the best from both techniques: agility and ability to traverse uneven terrains from the first, speed and stability from the second. As a consequence, the problem of planning feasible trajectories for a hybrid robot shares many similarities with the legged locomotion problem: also in the hybrid case the motion of the base is reached through contact of the feet with the environment, taking into account that the wheeled feet can just push on the ground and not pull it. Forces compatible with friction cones have to be considered, while the contacts can slide just along the direction prescribed by the orientation of the wheels.