Leg design based on biological problems

A study of the geometrical aspects, the nonlinear dynamics, and the control design of a six-legged walking machine is presented. Emphasis is placed on the design and control concepts used by nature in six-legged insects, which walk and climb very efficiently over arbitrary irregular surfaces. The non-Cartesian geometry of a living prototype, the walking stick insect, is used. By means of calculating and optimizing the force/torque distribution in living stick insects, biological design principles are evaluated and presented. A suitable control routine based on a small net of three-step-controllers uses simple coordination rules found in nature. It is able to establish stable gate phase characteristics with a few steps