Efficient, Dynamic Locomotion through Step Placement with Straight Legs and Rolling Contacts

For humans, fast, efficient walking over flat ground represents the vast majority of locomotion that an individual experiences on a daily basis, and for an effective, real-world humanoid robot the same will likely be the case. In this work, we propose a locomotion controller for efficient walking over near-flat ground using a relatively simple, model-based controller that utilizes a novel combination of several interesting design features including an ALIP-based step adjustment strategy, stance leg length control as an alternative to center of mass height control, and rolling contact for heel-to-toe motion of the stance foot. We then present the results of this controller on our robot Nadia, both in simulation and on hardware. These results include validation of this controller’s ability to perform fast, reliable forward walking at 0.75 m/s along with backwards walking, side-stepping, turning in place, and push recovery. We also present an efficiency comparison between the proposed control strategy and our baseline walking controller over three steady-state walking speeds. Lastly, we demonstrate some of the benefits of utilizing rolling contact in the stance foot, specifically the reduction of necessary positive and negative work throughout the stride.