Kinematics, Dynamics and Power Consumption Analysis of the Hexapod Robot During Walking with Tripod Gait

The paper is focused on the kinematic, dynamic and power consumption analysis of the constructed prototype of the hexapod robot walking with tripod gait on a flat and hard ground. The movements of the robot legs are controlled by different well known oscillators working as central pattern generators (CPGs). The mentioned models, as well as those proposed in our previous paper, are employed and compared from the viewpoint of fluctuations of the robot gravity center both in vertical and movement direction, contact forces between the robot legs and the ground as well as energy demand of the whole robot during walking process. Time histories of the key kinematic and dynamic quantities describing locomotion of the robot are numerically studied and experimentally verified. Power consumption of the whole robot is experimentally investigated based on the current consumption in the applied servo motors which drive the robot legs. We show that the proposed CPG model is more efficient regarding acceleration/deceleration of the whole robot, contact forces and overload acting on the robot legs as well the energy demand during walking of the robot. The appropriate choice of the robot leg movements, depending on the actual situation, can have a positive influence on the investigated issues, i.e. avoid unnecessary acceleration/deceleration of the robot, decrease the contact forces between the legs and the ground and reduce energy demand of the whole robot. Consequently, it also allows to improve structural stability of the robot during walking process.