Navigation of walking robots:: Localisation by odometry

Proper navigation of walking machines in unstructured terrain requires the knowledge of the spatial position and orientation of the robot. There are many approaches for localisation of mobile robots in outdoor environment, but their application to walking robots is rather rare. In particular, middle sized robots like LAURON III don't provide the possibility to carry large or heavy sensors. Due to many degrees of freedom of walking robots the localisation task becomes a even more complex challenge. This paper discusses the problem, presents a method of resolution and describes the first steps towards a localisation system for the six-legged walking robot LAURON III.