Motion Hacking: Pioneering a Novel Deliberate Intervention Methodology toward Elucidating Hexapedal Interlimb Coordination on Resilient Walking

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17KK0109
• Research Category: Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Control engineering/System engineering
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Owaki Dai 東北大学, 工学研究科, 准教授 (40551908)
• Project Period (FY): 2018 – 2020
• Keywords: Motion Hacking / 筋電気刺激 / 昆虫 / 脚間協調

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we developed an approach proposed by the applicant, ``Elucidation of the adaptive mechanisms of animals through systems engineering intervention in locomotion," at Bielefeld University (Germany), which has been highly successful in neurophysiological and animal behavioral research on stick insects, modeling using the findings, and application to robots. Specifically, we established a methodology, called ``Motion Hacking”, to hack leg movements by electrical stimulation of muscles while retaining the insect’s own sensorimotor functions, and observed the inter-leg coordination process by the insect's own nervous system when the leg movements were changed as intended by the intervener. Through the novel methodology, we attempted to elucidate the inter-leg coordination mechanism during locomotion.

Free Research Field

Robotics-inspired Biology, ロボティクス，制御工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

外部からの筋電気刺激によって，昆虫の歩行中の脚運動に介入することを可能とするMotion Hacking法を確立することに成功した．具体的には，筋刺激時間-生成トルクの間の線形関係に基づく生成トルクモデルを構築したことにより，脚運動の制御可能性を示した．この知見は，歩行運動中の脚運動への介入実験とそのデータ収集に有効活用でき，今後の歩行メカニズム解明に有用である．社会的意義としては，本研究により示唆された昆虫の脚間協調制御メカニズムをロボットに実装することにより，昆虫に比肩する適応能力を有し，脚の切断などの故障に対してレジリアントな歩行ロボットシステムの構築につながる．