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Locomotion is a pattern of behavior which most animals display in order to satisfy their changing needs, such as searching for food or fleeing from hostile predators. A controller of locomotion must be able to generate and coordinate locomotor movements, adapt these movements to the intention of the animal as well as maintaining the animal's equilibrium.
Legged locomotion is of technical importance in that it enables vehicles to travel in difficult terrain where traditional vehicles are severely restricted. Such a vehicle would travel quickly and efficiently over rough terrains and obstacles. Applications can be found in areas such as forestry, agriculture, mining, industry and defense.
Our research in this area involves combining biology, mechanical engineering and information technology in order to develop the techniques necessary to build a dynamically stable legged vehicle controlled by a neural network. This incorporates command signals, sensory feedback and reflex circuitry in order to produce the desired movement.
Computer simulation is a valuable tool in helping us to understand the
principles involved in the control of complex dynamical systems such
as the one described here. Building on our experience from the study
of fish swimming
, we have implemented a simulator called SAROS
to enable fast three-dimensional mechanical simulations of rather
general multibody systems
. This software enables an artificial neural control
system to interact with a simulated mechanical model of a walking
vehicle. Different neuronal mechanisms known to be of importance in
animal walking are now being evaluated for their usefulness in the
control of a legged vehicle.
Through this process we aim at gaining a better understanding of the principles behind walking systems in general, applicable to man-made legged vehicles as well as to natural legged locomotion.
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