Dynamics and Planning for Stable Motion of a Hexapod Robot

A dynamics model for a hexapod robot is developed in this paper which avoids extra calculations to yield a compact set of dynamic equations. To this end, foot interaction with the ground is modeled based on a compliant model, and a force distribution method is implemented in finding required friction forces. This leads to minimum slippage possibility and energy consumption. Furthermore, a scheme is proposed to generate an appropriate rhythmic gait and the ZMP criterion is successively used for checking the robot stability during its planned motion. In conclusion, obtained results are presented for robot stable motion based on the designated gait along a straight path.