Two-level control strategy of an eight link biped walking model

Abstract

This paper presents an adaptive two-level control strategy for a biped walking model and demonstrates its performance in a wide range of walking modes with considerably diverse model and control parameter settings. Proposed control strategy inherits a push off that resembles considerably to forceful extension of the trailing leg during push off in human locomotion and represents a very important source of forward propulsion. Extensive simulations have shown that adjustments in the push off related parameter on higher between-step control level after each step enable evolution of various walking modes of the biped walker at selected walking speeds and distinctive gait patterns. It also allows us to investigate the changes in gait kinematics and kinetics of the biped walking model due to changes in gait velocity, torso inclination and propulsion distribution profiles.