Device and method for controlling operation of legged robot, and robot device

A motion controller for a robot that comprises at least upper limbs, a trunk, and lower limbs and that performs a legged locomotion with the lower limbs, the controller comprising:

• means for setting motions of at least one of the upper limbs, the trunk, and the lower limbs;
• means for calculating a pitch-axis moment and/or a roll-axis moment of the body of the legged walking robot, these moments being generated at a preset ZMP by the set motions of the upper limbs, the trunk, and the lower limbs;
• means for calculating motions of the lower limbs and the trunk for canceling the pitch-axis moment and/or the roll-axis moment;
• means for calculating a yaw-axis moment of the body of the legged walking robot, the moment being generated at the preset ZMP by the calculated motions of the lower limbs and the trunk;
• means for calculating a motion of the upper limbs for canceling the yaw-axis moment;
• and
• means for modifying the set motions of the upper limbs, the trunk, and the lower limbs in accordance with the calculated motions of the upper limbs, the trunk, and the lower limbs.

A motion controller for a robot that comprises at least upper limbs, a trunk, and lower limbs and that performs a legged locomotion with the lower limbs, the controller comprising:

• (a) means for setting at least one of a foot motion, a trunk motion, an upper limb motion, and an attitude and a height of a waist for achieving a requested motion;
• (b) means for setting a ZMP trajectory based on the foot motion set by the (a) means;
• (c) means for calculating pitch-axis and roll-axis moments of the legged walking robot, these moments being generated at the ZMP set by the (b) means by the foot motion, the trunk motion, and the upper limb motion set by the (a) means;
• (d) means for computing a solution for a waist motion for canceling the pitch-axis and roll-axis moments calculated by the (c) means;
• (e) means for calculating a yaw-axis moment of the legged walking robot, the moment being generated at the ZMP set by the (b) means by the waist motion solved by the (d) means;
• (f) means for computing a solution for an upper limb motion for canceling the yaw-axis moment calculated by the (e) means;
• and
• (g) means for deriving a whole-body motion of the legged walking robot based on the waist motion and the upper limb motion solved by the (d) means and the (f) means, respectively.

A motion controller for a robot that comprises at least upper limbs, a trunk, and lower limbs and that performs a legged locomotion with the lower limbs, the controller comprising:

• (A) means for setting at least one of a foot motion, a trunk motion, an upper limb motion, and an attitude and a height of a waist for achieving a requested motion;
• (B) means for setting a ZMP trajectory based on the foot motion set by the (A) means;
• (C) means for calculating pitch-axis and roll-axis moments of the legged walking robot by using a low fidelity model of the legged walking robot, these moments being generated at the ZMP set by the (B) means by the foot motion, the trunk motion, and upper limb motion set by the (A) means;
• (D) means for computing an approximate solution for a waist motion for canceling the pitch-axis and roll-axis moments calculated by the (C) means;
• (E) means for calculating a yaw-axis moment of the legged walking robot by using the low fidelity model of the legged walking robot, the moment being given at the ZMP set by the (B) means by the approximate solution for the waist motion found by the (D) means;
• (F) means for computing an approximate solution for an upper limb motion for canceling the yaw-axis moment calculated by the (E) means;
• (G) means for calculating pitch-axis, roll-axis, and yaw-axis moments of the legged walking robot by using a high fidelity model of the legged walking robot, these moments being generated at the ZMP set by the (B) means during the whole-body motion calculated by the (D) means and the (F) means;
• (H) means for determining a solution for the whole-body motion when the pitch-axis, roll-axis, and yaw-axis moments calculated by the (G) means are smaller than respective predetermined allowable values;
• and
• (I) means for modifying the moments at the preset ZMP based on the low fidelity model when the pitch-axis, roll-axis, and yaw-axis moments calculated by the (G) means are equal to or larger than the respective predetermined allowable values and for allowing the (D) means or the (F) means to use the modified moments.

A method for controlling a motion of a robot that comprises at least upper limbs, a trunk, and lower limbs and that performs a legged locomotion with the lower limbs, the controller comprising the steps of:

• setting motions of at least one of the upper limbs, the trunk, and the lower limbs;
• calculating a yaw-axis moment of the body of the legged walking robot, the moment being generated at a preset ZMP by the set motions of the upper limbs, the trunk, and the lower limbs;
• calculating a motion of the upper limbs for canceling the yaw-axis moment;
• and
• modifying the set motions of the upper limbs, the trunk, and the lower limbs in accordance with the calculated motion of the upper limbs.

A method for controlling a motion of a robot that comprises at least upper limbs, a trunk, and lower limbs and that performs a legged locomotion with the lower limbs, the controller comprising the steps of:

• setting motions of at least one of the upper limbs, the trunk, and the lower limbs;
• calculating a pitch-axis moment and/or a roll-axis moment of the body of the legged walking robot, these moments being generated at a preset ZMP by the set motions of the upper limbs, the trunk, and the lower limbs;
• calculating motions of the lower limbs and the trunk for canceling the pitch-axis moment and/or the roll-axis moment;
• calculating a yaw-axis moment of the body of the legged walking robot, the moment being generated at the preset ZMP by the calculated motions of the lower limbs and the trunk;
• calculating a motion of the upper limbs for canceling the yaw-axis moment;
• and
• modifying the set motions of the upper limbs, the trunk, and the lower limbs in accordance with the calculated motions of the upper limbs, the trunk, and the lower limbs.

A method for controlling a motion of a robot that comprises at least upper limbs, a trunk, and lower limbs and that performs a legged locomotion with the lower limbs, the controller comprising the steps of:

• (a) setting at least one of a foot motion, a trunk motion, an upper limb motion, and an attitude and a height of a waist for achieving a requested motion;
• (b) setting a ZMP trajectory based on the foot motion set in the (a) step;
• (c) calculating pitch-axis and roll-axis moments of the legged walking robot, these moments being generated at the ZMP set in the (b) step by the foot motion, the trunk motion, and the upper limb motion set in the (a) step;
• (d) computing a solution for a waist motion for canceling the pitch-axis and roll-axis moments calculated in the (c) step;
• (e) calculating a yaw-axis moment of the legged walking robot, the moment being generated at the ZMP set in the (b) step by the waist motion solved in the (d) step;
• (f) computing a solution for an upper limb motion for canceling the yaw-axis moment calculated in the (e) step;
• and
• (g) deriving a whole-body motion of the legged walking robot based on the waist motion and the upper limb motion solved in the (d) step and the (f) step, respectively.

A method for controlling a motion of a robot that comprises at least upper limbs, a trunk, and lower limbs and that performs a legged locomotion with the lower limbs, the controller comprising the steps of:

• (A) setting at least one of a foot motion, a trunk motion, an upper limb motion, and an attitude and a height of a waist for achieving a requested motion;
• (B) setting a ZMP trajectory based on the foot motion set in the (A) step;
• (C) calculating pitch-axis and roll-axis moments of the legged walking robot by using a low fidelity model of the legged walking robot, these moments being generated at the ZMP set in the (B) step by the foot motion, the trunk motion, and upper limb motion set in the (A) step;
• (D) computing an approximate solution for a waist motion for canceling the pitch-axis and roll-axis moments calculated in the (C) step;
• (E) calculating a yaw-axis moment of the legged walking robot by using the low fidelity model of the legged walking robot, the moment being given at the ZMP set in the (B) step by the approximate solution for the waist motion found in the (D) step;
• (F) computing an approximate solution for an upper limb motion for canceling the yaw-axis moment calculated in the (E) step;
• (G) calculating pitch-axis, roll-axis, and yaw-axis moments of the legged walking robot by using a high fidelity model of the legged walking robot, these moments being generated at the ZMP set in the (B) step during the whole-body motion calculated in the (D) step and the (F) step;
• (H) determining a solution for the whole-body motion when the pitch-axis, roll-axis, and yaw-axis moments calculated in the (G) step are smaller than respective predetermined allowable values;
• and
• (I) modifying the moments at the preset ZMP based on the low fidelity model when the pitch-axis, roll-axis, and yaw-axis moments calculated in the (G) step are equal to or-larger than the respective predetermined allowable values and for allowing the (D) step or the (F) step to use the modified moments.

A robot apparatus comprising:

• at least upper limbs, a trunk, and lower limbs with which the robot apparatus performs a legged locomotion;
• means for setting a motion pattern of the robot;
• means for calculating a yaw-axis moment of the robot body, the moment being generated at a preset ZMP by the set motion pattern;
• means for calculating a motion pattern of the upper limbs for reducing the calculated yaw-axis moment;
• and
• means for modifying the set motion pattern in accordance with the calculated motion pattern of the upper limbs.