Optimization of legged robot locomotion by control of foot-force distribution

The contribution of this paper is the introduction of three new pseudo-inverse formulations for the real-time control of foot-force distribution in multi-legged walking machines. Three alternative locomotion performance objectives are proposed for the purpose of optimizing the foot-force distribution. An exhaustive search method has been used to obtain truly optimal results, which are then used for comparison with the results obtained using suboptimal pseudo-inverse formulations that are suitable for real-time control. Simulation results show that, by using the appropriate pseudo-inverse formulation, a good approximation to the corresponding optimal foot-force distribution can be obtained. Furthermore, it is clear that the friction duty factor formulation provides an excellent real-time solution for minimizing the risk of foot-slip.