Abstract

A bipedal walking mechanism with knees is designed and built to study the passive dynamic gait. The effects of changing the ramp angle and the mass distributions of the thighs and the shanks on the gait patterns and walking robustness are studied. It is shown that the changes in the ramp angle and the mass distribution have significant effects on the step lengths and the robustness (the successful rate of launching and the step-count) of the passive gait. More specifically, as the ramp angle increases or the mass center of the entire walker is raised, the step length increases, which dictates the walking speed. However, our experiments show that the changes in the ramp angle and the mass distribution have slight effects on the step period. The optimal ramp angle and mass distribution of the passive walker are also identified, of which the passive walker has the highest successful rate of launching and the step-count. Our experimental results are compared with previous work based on simulations. This research can provide important information for validating/adjusting mathematical models of passive dynamic walking. The work also enables us to gain a better understanding of the mechanics of walking.

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