Robotic Canine Masters Balancing Act on Online Platform

Robotic dog balancing on balance beam |  hot online

A robotics research team at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute has used satellite technology to help a four-legged robot balance on a balance beam. This is a significant accomplishment for the team, as it is difficult for four-legged robots to balance with fewer than three feet touching the ground.

The researchers employed a reaction wheel actuator system instead of trying to imitate the natural balance mechanism of animals like felines. The system was originally used in aerospace engineering, such as in the position regulation of satellites. The robot can now balance on a 6 cm wide balance beam.

The balancing function of four-legged robots is generally not a significant issue, as they are designed to walk on level surfaces and climb stairs. They need flexible legs, rounded feet, and a strong torso, not special body awareness or balance. Cats and other four-legged animals use their tails to balance naturally.

The use of the reaction wheel actuator should improve the stability of robots like the four-legged dog. Typically, the robot’s body and legs are not coordinated with each other. This makes it difficult for them to move smoothly across rough terrain.

The researchers mounted two of these actuator systems on the back of a standard Unitree A1 robot dog: one on the pitch axis and one on the roll axis. This allowed for independent control over the alignment of the body, and the robot could balance regardless of the position of its feet.

After testing the robot in a simulation, the researchers subjected it to sudden jolts, which it recovered from quickly. The new balance was sufficient to allow the robot to balance on a 6 cm wide balance beam.

The researchers are hopeful that this system can help advance the stabilization capabilities of four-legged robots. They could then be used in search and rescue operations and make it easier to navigate rough terrain.

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