Control device for mobile robot

A control device for a mobile robot which is caused to travel by moving three or more limbs extended from a base body thereof, the control device being configured to control an operation of the mobile robot so as to cause an actual motion of the mobile robot to track a desired motion thereof and also to cause at least a controlled external force element, which is a prescribed type of element defining a position of a total floor reaction force central point as a point of application of total floor reaction force, to track a desired value for the controlled external force element, the control device comprising:

• a required total floor reaction force central point position calculating unit configured to calculate a required total floor reaction force central point position as a position of the total floor reaction force central point, by using as a factor a first total floor reaction force center reference position which is defined on the basis of a current time's supporting region and a next time's supporting region, the current time's supporting region being a smallest convex region including ground contact surfaces of current time's supporting limbs which are located on the ground during a current time's free limb period that extends from when at least one limb out of the three or more limbs is lifted until when the same is landed, the next time's supporting region being a smallest convex region including ground contact surfaces of next time's supporting limbs which include the at least one limb and which are located on the ground during a next time's free limb period that extends, after the landing of the at least one limb, from when at least one limb different from the at least one limb is lifted until when the same is landed;
• and
• a desired controlled external force element value determining unit configured to successively determine a desired value of the controlled external force element on the basis of the calculated required total floor reaction force central point position.