Gait analysis of 6-legged robot with actuator-equipped trunk and insect inspired body structure

Abstract

Not only 4-legged animals but also 6-legged creatures exhibit a range of gaits. To reveal the mechanism underlying the gait of animals and realize such a gait in a multi-legged robot, it is important to understand the inter-limb coordination. It is possible that the inter-limb coordination is strongly influenced by the structure of trunk to which each leg is connected. In this study, we designed a brand-new insect-inspired trunk mechanism that is equipped with an actuator. Using this trunk, we built a 6-legged robots with passive limbs. We performed walking experiments with the developed robot and analyzed its gait, especially the relationship between the structure of the trunk and the walking velocity. The experimental result shows an insect inspired body structure affects its gait and the walking velocity of 6-legged walking robot.