Abstract
Animals’ free movement in natural environments has attracted many researchers to explore control methods for bio-inspired robots. This paper presents a novel reflex mechanism based on a Central Pattern Generator (CPG) for adaptive locomotion of limbless robots. First, inspired by the concept of reflex arc, the reflex mechanism is designed on a connectionist CPG model. Since the CPG model inspired by the spinal cord of lampreys is developed at the neuron level, it provides a possible natural solution for sensory reflex integration. Therefore, sensory neurons that bridge the external stimuli and the CPG model, together with the concept of reflex arc, are utilized for designing the sensory reflex mechanism. Then, a border reflex and a body reflex are further developed and applied on the ends and the middle part of a limbless robot, respectively. Finally, a ball hitting scenario and a corridor passing scenario are designed to verify the proposed method. Results of simulations and on-site experiments show the feasibility and effectiveness of the reflex mechanism in realizing fast response and adaptive limbless locomotion.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Thanhtam H, Sunghac C, Sangyoon L. Development of a biomimetic quadruped robot. Journal of Bionic Engineering, 2007, 4, 193–199.
Ijspeert A J, Crespi A, Ryczko D, Cabelguen J M. From swimming to walking with a salamander robot driven by a spinal cord model. Science, 2007, 315, 1416–1420.
Cai Y, Bi S, Zheng L. Design and experiments of a robotic fish imitating cow-nosed ray. Journal of Bionic Engineering, 2010, 7, 120–126.
Chung S J, Dorothy M. Neurobiologically inspired control of engineered flapping flight. Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 2010, 33, 440–453.
Grillner S. Neurobiological bases of rhythmic motor acts in vertebrates. Science, 1985, 228, 143–149.
Creed R S. Reflex Activity of the Spinal Cord, Clarendon Press, Clarendon, USA, 1972.
Matthews G. Neurobiology, Molecules, Cells and Systems, 2nd ed, Blackwell Science, Malden, MA, 2001.
Bekey G A, Tomovic R. Robot control by reflex actions. Proceedings of the 1986 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, San Francisco, USA, 1986, 240–247.
Espenschied K S, Quinn R D, Beer R D, Chiel H J. Biologically based distributed control and local reflexes improve rough terrain locomotion in a hexapod robot. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 1996, 18, 59–64.
Asif U, Iqbal J. An approach to stable walking over uneven terrain using a reflex-based adaptive gait. Journal of Control Science and Engineering, 2011, 2011, 1–16.
Huang Q, Nakamura Y. Sensory reflex control for humanoid walking. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 2005, 21, 977–984.
Dirk S, Kirchner F. The bio-inspired scorpion robot: Design, control & lessons learned. In: Zhang H (ed). Climbing and Walking Robots, Towards New Application, I-Tech Education and Publishing, Vienna, Austria, 2007, 197–218.
Kimura H, Fukuoka Y, Cohen A H. Adaptive dynamic walking of a quadruped robot on natural ground based on biological concepts. International Journal of Robotics Research, 2007, 26, 475–490.
Liu C, Chen Q, Wang G. Adaptive walking control of quadruped robots based on central pattern generator (CPG) and reflex. Journal of Control Theory and Applications, 2013, 11, 386–392.
Wikman T S, Newman W S. A fast, on-line collision avoidance method for a kinematically redundant manipulator based on reflex control. Proceedings of the 1992 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Nice, France, 1992, 12–14.
Sakurai T, Okamoto S, Konyo M, Tadokoro S. Research of conditions of stimulus for inducing grasping force control reflex. IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration, Sendai, Japan, 2010, 408–413.
Chatterjee R, Matsuno F. Use of single side reflex for autonomous navigation of mobile robots in unknown environments. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 2001, 35, 77–96.
Vaidyanathan R, Chen C T, Jeong C D, Williams C, Endo Y, Ritzmann R E, Quinn R D. A reflexive vehicle control architecture based on a neural model of the cockroach escape response. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part I: Journal of Systems and Control Engineering, 2012, 226, 699–718.
Wu X, Ma S. Neurally controlled steering for collision-free behavior of a snake robot. IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, 2013, 21, 2443–2449.
Hisashi D, Yoshihiro T. Adaptive locomotion of a snake like robot based on curvature derivatives. Proceedings of the 2007 IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, San Diego, USA, 2007, 3554–3559.
Brodal P. The Central Nervous System: Structure and Function, 2nd ed, Oxford University Press, USA, 1998.
Weiner W J, Shin R K. Neurology for the Non-Neurologist, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, USA, 2010.
Li G Y. Hierarchical Control of Limbless Locomotion Using Bio-Inspired CPG Model, PdD Thesis, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany, 2013.
Smith R. Open Dynamics Engine, [2014-6-19], http://www.ode.org/
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Li, G., Zhang, H., Zhang, J. et al. An approach for adaptive limbless locomotion using a cpg-based reflex mechanism. J Bionic Eng 11, 389–399 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1672-6529(14)60052-4
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1672-6529(14)60052-4