Passive Walking Robots - a Step towards Amplify Human Performance
Published: Jun 24, 2007
The unveiling of three passive walkers at an American Association for the Advancement of Science conference last February has proven that the concept of passive walking robots - machines that can imitate a human’s entire gait cycle by relying on leg motion and gravity rather than motors – have gained prominence.
Cornell University’s Andy Ruina and his team have built a robot that can pump its gait by pushing off its back foot at the beginning of each step by using a spring in each lower leg - a small motor stretches the spring, which causes the ankle joint to flex when released. The robot, built by Russ Tedrake and his MIT researchers, uses an on-board computer that can sense the tilt of its body and other factors in order to “learn” how to walk. The third robot, created by Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, is driven by compressed-air actuators in the hips, and features an ankle design that adds stability.
All three machines simplify leg design and control and lower energy consumption, representing a significant advance over earlier models. Chris Atkeson, a roboticist in Carnegie Mellon University, believes that the combination of principles in both passive dynamic walkers and powered walkers will improve passive walking ability. Passive-walking robots are also inspiring research into advanced prosthetics that could amplify human performance.
Source: New Scientist
