Spatio-temporal synchronization of periodic movements by style-phase adaptation: Application to biped walking

In this paper, we propose a framework for generating coordinated periodic movements of robotic systems with external inputs. We developed an adaptive pattern generator model that is composed of a two-factor observation model with a style parameter and phase dynamics with a phase variable. The style parameter controls the spatial patterns of the generated trajectories, and the phase variable controls its temporal profiles. To validate the effectiveness of our proposed method, we applied it to a simulated humanoid model to perform biped walking behaviors coordinated with observed walking patterns and the environment. The robot successfully performed stable biped walking behaviors even when the style of the observed walking pattern and the period were suddenly changed.