Upper-Body Control and Mechanism of Humanoids to Compensate for Angular Momentum in the Yaw Direction Based on Human Running

• Published in: Applied sciences Vol. 8; no. 1; p. 44
• Main Authors: Otani, Takuya, Hashimoto, Kenji, Miyamae, Shunsuke, Ueta, Hiroki, Natsuhara, Akira, Sakaguchi, Masanori, Kawakami, Yasuo, Lim, Hum-Ok, Takanishi, Atsuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 03-01-2018
• Subjects: Angular momentum; Arm; Atmospheric pressure; Carbon fiber reinforced plastics; Control methods; Flight; Human motion; Humanoid; Leg; Plastics; Running; Torso; Yaw
• ISSN: 2076-3417; 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app8010044

Many extant studies proposed various stabilizing control methods for humanoids during the stance phase while hopping and running. Although these methods contribute to stability during hopping and running, humanoid robots do not swing their legs rapidly during the flight phase to prevent rotation in the yaw direction. Humans utilize their torsos and arms when running to compensate for the angular momentum in the yaw direction generated by leg movement during the flight phase. In this study, we developed an angular momentum control method based on human motion for a humanoid upper body. The method involves calculation of the angular momentum generated by the movement of the humanoid legs and calculation of the torso and arm motions required to compensate for the angular momentum of the legs in the yaw direction. We also developed a humanoid upper-body mechanism having human link length and mass properties, using carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic and a symmetric structure for generating large angular momentum. The humanoid robot developed in this study could generate almost the same angular momentum as that of a human. Furthermore, when suspended in midair, the humanoid robot achieved angular momentum compensation in the yaw direction.