System for controlling locomotion of a walking robot having a sensor for detecting externally exerted forces

A system according to clam 1, wherein said control means includes:

• first means for determining a moment acting on the body link from the detected external force;
• and
• second means for correcting the landing position by an amount in response to the determined moment;
• and said control means adjusts the control value such that the lifted leg linkage will land at the corrected position.

A system for controlling the locomotion of a biped walking robot having a body link and a pair of articulated leg linkages each connected to the body link through a hip joint and having at least a second joint and a foot, including:

• actuator means for driving the joints;
• and
• controls means for determining a control value of the actuator means for each joint based on predetermined locomotion data including a foot landing position of a lifted leg linkage;
• wherein the improvement comprises:
• a plurality of sensors positioned on the body link and linked to the control means for detecting an external force exerted on the body link;
• first means for determining a moment acting on the robot from the detected external force;
• and
• second means for correcting the predetermined foot landing position from that in the locomotion data in a direction in which the external force acts by an amount in response to the determined moment;
• and said control means adjusts the control value for at least one of the associated drive joints of the lifted leg linkage such that the lifted leg linkage's foot lands at the corrected position.

A system for controlling the walking movement of a robot having a body and a pair of legs connected to the body through hip joints, each leg having a knee joint and a foot, comprising:

• motors for driving the hip joints and knee joints;
• a controller for controlling the motors, based on walking data in a memory including a foot landing position of a lifted leg;
• a detector linked to the controller for detecting an external force acting on the robot body;
• and
• a foot landing position compensator, associated with the controller for determining a moment acting on the robot body resulting from the external force and for controlling the motors to shift the foot landing position of the foot of the lifted leg, in the direction in which the external force acts on the robot body, by an amount proportional to the product of an integrated value of the moment and a coefficient which increases as the leg approaches footfall.