Partial three-dimensional motion simulation and experiments based on large hydraulic hexapod robot

Multi-legged robot is a redundant drive, multi-branched, time-varying topology motion machine. It utilizes a special foot moving mechanism which imitates multi-legged animals. Previous studies about such robots were usually built on the basis of pure mathematical models; the simplified models of the actual system were difficult to reflect the real situation of the robots. Thus its results can not represent the actual performance of the robots entirely. Furthermore carrying out various experiments on real robots is inconvenient and sometimes impossible. And we found that through combination of the actual three-dimensional model and Matlab hydraulic control system could give a good solution to this problem. Firstly, we established three-dimensional virtual models of the real robot and transferred them into Matlab. These three-dimensional models in the control system can substitute real mechanical systems for simulation experiments. The three-dimensional models were combined with Matlab mechanical and hydraulic system for simulation experiments. We can compare the responses to the same control signals between model and the actual robot when the same control method and parameters were used. Then the validity of the models can be proved. It can provide a new reliable method for the simulation cases about such robots.