Development of lightweight sprawling-type quadruped robot TITAN-XIII and its dynamic walking

In this paper, we discuss the development of the sprawling-type quadruped robot named “TITAN-XIII” and its dynamic walking algorithm. We develop an experimental quadruped robot especially designed for dynamic walking. Unlike dog-like robots, the prototype robot looks like a four-legged spider. As an experimental robot, we focus on the three basic concepts: lightweight, wide range of motion and ease of maintenance. To achieve these goals, we introduce a wire-driven mechanism using a synthetic fiber to transmit power to each axis making use of this wire-driven mechanism, we can locate the motors at the base of the leg, reducing, consequently, its inertia. Additionally, each part of the robot is unitized, and can be easily disassembled. As a dynamic walking algorithm, we proposed what we call “longitudinal acceleration trajectory”. This trajectory was applied to intermittent trot gait. The algorithm was tested with the developed robot, and its performance was confirmed through experiments.