Tegotae-Based Control Produces Adaptive Inter- and Intra-limb Coordination in Bipedal Walking

Dai Owaki; Shun-Ya Horikiri; Jun Nishii; Akio Ishiguro

doi:10.3389/fnbot.2021.629595

Tegotae-Based Control Produces Adaptive Inter- and Intra-limb Coordination in Bipedal Walking

Front Neurorobot. 2021 May 12:15:629595. doi: 10.3389/fnbot.2021.629595. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Dai Owaki¹, Shun-Ya Horikiri², Jun Nishii³, Akio Ishiguro²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Robotics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
² Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
³ Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.

Abstract

Despite the appealing concept of central pattern generator (CPG)-based control for bipedal walking robots, there is currently no systematic methodology for designing a CPG-based controller. To remedy this oversight, we attempted to apply the Tegotae approach, a Japanese concept describing how well a perceived reaction, i.e., sensory information, matches an expectation, i.e., an intended motor command, in designing localised controllers in the CPG-based bipedal walking model. To this end, we developed a Tegotae function that quantifies the Tegotae concept. This function allowed incorporating decentralised controllers into the proposed bipedal walking model systematically. We designed a two-dimensional bipedal walking model using Tegotae functions and subsequently implemented it in simulations to validate the proposed design scheme. We found that our model can walk on both flat and uneven terrains and confirmed that the application of the Tegotae functions in all joint controllers results in excellent adaptability to environmental changes.

Keywords: Tegotae; adaptability; bipedal walking; central pattern generator; inter- and intra-limb coordination.