Walking Robots

Walking robots are often slower than driving robots, but they have the improtant advantage that they navigate over terrain, while driving robots require a more or less flat surface. The simplest case of a walking robot uses 6 legs, sinve this allows to implement a gait that always lifts up and repositions 3 legs, while the other 3 legs remain on the ground, providing a solid balance. Such a robot does not need to actively balance, as is required for our balancing and biped walking (android) robots. For details see the book "Embedded Robotics".

The mechanics and sensor electronics has been individually constructed around the EyeBot controller.

See walking robot videos.

• 12 servos driven by EyeBot
• 2 infra-red PSD sensors
• mechanics 1st generation (right) developed at Univ. Stuttgart
• mechanics 2nd generation (left) from Lynxmotion

Walker Specific Settings

         / \ (head)
leg 5 --+---+-- leg 6
        |   |
leg 3 --+   +-- leg 4
        |   |
leg 1 --+---+-- leg 2


Channel    Connector  Function
------------------------------------------------
TPU  0-1   Motor A/B  not used

TPU  2-3   S1,  S2    leg 1 front/back - up/down
TPU  4-5   S3,  S4    leg 2
TPU  6-7   S5,  S6    leg 3
TPU  8-9   S7,  S8    leg 4
TPU 10-11  S9,  S10   leg 5
TPU 12-13  S11, S12   leg 6

TPU 14     --         PSD infrared
TPU 15     --         audio out