给四足机器人装上弹性脚掌，能省17%能耗
Energy-Efficient Quadruped Locomotion with Compliant Feet
- 用强化学习训练不同弹性脚掌的四足机器人
- 中等刚度弹簧使能耗降低约17%
- 适合关注节能与运动效率的机器人研究者
四足机器人通常采用刚性脚掌以简化控制并保持稳定接触，但这种设计限制了腿部吸收冲击力和回收弹性能量的能力，导致运动时能耗更高。为探究柔性脚掌是否具有优势，我们将在强化学习（RL）运动控制器中引入脚部柔顺性，并研究其对行走效率的影响。在仿真中，训练了八种对应不同弹簧刚度的策略，并通过测量每米所消耗的机械能来交叉评估性能。在实际开发的四足机器人实验中，中等刚度弹簧相比极硬或极软弹簧，能耗降低约17%，仿真结果也呈现相似趋势。结果表明，合理选择脚部柔顺性可在不破坏运动稳定性的情况下提升运动效率。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Quadruped robots are often designed with rigid feet to simplify control and maintain stable contact during locomotion. While this approach is straightforward, it limits the ability of the legs to absorb impact forces and reuse stored elastic energy, leading to higher energy expenditure during locomotion. To explore whether compliant feet can provide an advantage, we integrate foot compliance into a reinforcement learning (RL) locomotion controller and study its effect on walking efficiency. In simulation, we train eight policies corresponding to eight different spring stiffness values and then cross-evaluate their performance by measuring mechanical energy consumed per meter traveled. In experiments done on a developed quadruped, the energy consumption for the intermediate stiffness spring is lower by ~ 17% when compared to a very stiff or a very flexible spring incorporated in the feet, with similar trends appearing in the simulation results. These results indicate that selecting an appropriate foot compliance can improve locomotion efficiency without destabilizing the robot during motion.
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