An EPA-FRT based dual-network platform for humanoid robot control systems

In order to accomplish complex movements and interact with the environment, humanoid robots are required to be equipped with many motors, servo drivers and sensors to provide enough DOF, achieve fast responses and acquire adequate sensor data. Most interfaces that commercial servo drivers and sensors provide cannot satisfy the performance requirement as the number of drivers and sensors grows. Adopting Real-Time Ethernet is a trend in high-speed motion control scenarios such as robot systems and variable-frequency drive (VFD) control systems. This paper proposes an EPA-FRT based dual-network scheme for humanoid robot control and establishes a system that is compatible to both CAN and Ethernet interfaces. The network structure and scheduling scheme of the dual-network system are presented. A prototype test is performed and analyzed compared to the CAN bus. Experimental results show the effectiveness and advantage of the scheme.