Parametric study of constraint functions for planar five-link bipedal systems

The parametric formulation is a systematic method of designing joint profiles for bipedal systems using constraint functions, which are cast in terms of coherent physical characteristics of gait. For continuous and steady bipedal walking, acceptable joint profiles must produce repeatable gait. This paper presents a parametric study to correlate the locomotion parameters with initial angles for each step. Furthermore, a necessary and sufficient condition for repeatable gait is proposed, which can be used as a guideline for selecting constraint functions to achieve acceptable joint profiles. This research not only provides valuable insights into the bipedal walking, but also serves as a stepping stone for employing the parametric formulation with various constraint functions.