Mechanically-timed footsteps for a robotic device

An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by a processor, cause a robot to perform operations comprising:

• determining a position and a velocity of a center of mass of the robot, wherein the robot comprises a first foot in contact with a surface and a second foot not in contact with the surface;
• based on the determined position and the determined velocity of the center of mass, determining a capture point for the robot, wherein the capture point indicates a position on the surface;
• determining a target position for a center of pressure of the robot after the second foot contacts the surface;
• determining a threshold position for the capture point, wherein the threshold position is based on the target position for the center of pressure;
• determining that the capture point has reached the threshold position;
• and
• based on the determination that the capture point has reached the threshold position, causing the second foot to contact the surface.

A robot comprising:

• a processor;
• memory;
• and
• program instructions, stored in the memory, that upon execution by the processor cause the robot to perform operations comprising:
• determining a position and a velocity of a center of mass of the robot, wherein the robot comprises a first foot in contact with a surface and a second foot not in contact with the surface;
• based on the determined position and the determined velocity of the center of mass, determining a capture point for the robot, wherein the capture point indicates a position on the surface;
• determining a target position for a center of pressure of the robot after the second foot contacts the surface;
• determining a threshold position for the capture point, wherein the threshold position is based on the target position for the center of pressure;
• determining that the capture point has reached the threshold position;
• and
• based on the determination that the capture point has reached the threshold position, causing the second foot to contact the surface.