Behavioral Stereotypes and Control Design Strategies for a Six-Degree-of-Freedom “Walking” Vehicle

Abstract

The problems posed by control of “walking” six-degree-of-freedom vehicles vary with specific task requirements. Different strategies are required for cruising “supervisory” control and precision foot placement. These, along with anthropometric and stereotypic considerations, directly affect the design of the manually operated controls and the degree to which multiple-axis/multiple-task integration can be achieved within a single controller. Systems that allow turn radius to be set in the absence of vehicle movement are best for planning and execution of slow close maneuvering while systems summing velocity vectors seem most advantageous for relatively high-speed cruise conditions.