Abstract

This chapter concerns real-times hexapod robot force control. Based on an operational trajectory planner, a computed torque control for each leg of hexapod robot is presented. This approach takes into account the force distribution on the robot legs in real time and the hexapod dynamic model. First, Kinematic and dynamic modeling are presented. Then, a methodology for the optimal force distribution is given. The issue of force distribution is expressed on the basis of nonlinear programming terms that take into consideration both the equality and the inequality of constraints. Subsequently, nonlinear inequalities of friction constraints can be replaced by a combination of linear equalities and inequalities [22]. The original constraining nonlinear programming problem is then transformed to a problem of a quadratic optimization. Therefore, the overall hexapod computed torque control is presented. Finally some simulations are also given in order to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.