Dynamical difference between two types of quardupedal galloping

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K14104
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 20010:Mechanics and mechatronics-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Kamimura Tomoya 名古屋工業大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (80881789)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ギャロップ / ４脚ロボット / チーター / ウマ / シンプルモデル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Galloping used by quadrupeds at high speeds is characterised by the left and right legs moving out of opposite phases, and is classified according to the touchdown order into two types: rotary, which is performed by cheetahs, and transverse, which is performed by horses. We hypothesise that the rotational degree of freedom of the trunk in the roll direction plays an important role as a dynamical factor in generating this difference. A simple model with torsional degrees of freedom of the trunk in the roll direction was proposed, and periodic solutions were searched for by numerical calculation. The dynamical characteristics of each gait has been revealed by the difference in roll degree of freedom.

Free Research Field

ロボティクス

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果は，生物学でも古くから議論されていたチーターとウマが用いる２種類のギャロップの差異について，動力学の立場から原理を説明する．また，ギャロップのパラメータ依存性が明らかになったことから，今後４脚ロボットを開発するにあたって，どのような歩容がそのロボットに可能であるか，また，どのような制御が必要となるかについて議論できるようになった．