A Sliding Cone Control Method for Robust Robot Running

Rapid locomotion on complicated terrains with height and stiffness changes can be challenging. This paper presents a novel Sliding Cone Control (SCC), that offers a legged robot the capability to interact with rough terrains with explainable control commands and minimal computation resources. The proposed SCC is a sliding mode control-based robust controller that enforces the spring-like leg to undulate on the ground following the desired limit cycle in a finite-time converging manner. Its stability and robustness have been proved mathematically, which ensures a safe extension to the overall planar running control. The proposed controller is verified experimentally on a planer hopper. The results show desirable and stable running on the terrains with height and stiffness variations.