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US 9,499,218 B1Granted
Mechanically-timed footsteps for a robotic device
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorBenjamin Stephens
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An example implementation for determining mechanically-timed footsteps may involve a robot having a first foot in contact with a ground surface and a second foot not in contact with the ground surface. The robot may determine a position of its center of mass and center of mass velocity, and based on these, determine a capture point for the robot. The robot may also determine a threshold position for the capture point, where the threshold position is based on a target trajectory for the capture point after the second foot contacts the ground surface. The robot may determine that the capture point has reached this threshold position and based on this determination, cause the second foot to contact the ground surface.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- determining, by a robot, a position of a center of mass of the robot, wherein the robot comprises a first foot in contact with a ground surface and a second foot not in contact with the ground surface;
- determining a velocity of the center of mass of the robot;
- based on the determined position of the center of mass 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 ground surface;
- determining a threshold position for the capture point, wherein the threshold position is based on a target trajectory for the capture point after the second foot contacts the ground surface, and wherein determining the threshold position for the capture point comprises determining a lateral threshold for the capture point and a forward threshold for the capture point;
- 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, by the robot, the second foot to contact the ground surface.
4 more elements
A robot comprising:
- a first foot;
- a second foot;
- a processor;
- a non-transitory computer readable medium;
- and
- program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executed by the processor, cause the robot to perform operations comprising:
- determining a position of a center of mass of the robot, wherein the robot comprises a first foot in contact with a ground surface and a second foot not in contact with the ground surface;
- determining a velocity of the center of mass of the robot;
- based on the determined position of the center of mass 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 ground surface;
- determining a threshold position for the capture point, wherein the threshold position is based on a target trajectory for the capture point after the second foot contacts the ground surface, and wherein determining the threshold position for the capture point comprises determining a lateral threshold for the capture point and a forward threshold for the capture point;
- 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 ground surface.
10 more elements
A method comprising:
- determining, by a robot, a footstep pattern for the robot, wherein the robot comprises a first foot in contact with a ground surface and a second foot not in contact with the ground surface, and wherein the footstep pattern comprises a target footstep location for the second foot;
- determining, by a robot, a position of a center of mass of the robot;
- determining a velocity of the center of mass of the robot;
- based on the determined position of the center of mass 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 ground surface;
- determining a current trajectory for the capture point;
- based on the current trajectory of the capture point, updating the target footstep location for the second foot;
- determining a threshold position for the capture point, wherein the threshold position is based on a target trajectory for the capture point after the second foot contacts the ground surface;
- 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, by the robot, the second foot to contact the ground surface at the updated target footstep location for the second foot.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.