Online Optimization of Central Pattern Generators for Quadruped Locomotion

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Zhang, Zewei, Bellegarda, Guillaume, Shafiee, Milad, Ijspeert, Auke
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Zhang, Zewei
Bellegarda, Guillaume
Shafiee, Milad
Ijspeert, Auke
author_facet Zhang, Zewei
Bellegarda, Guillaume
Shafiee, Milad
Ijspeert, Auke
contents Typical legged locomotion controllers are designed or trained offline. This is in contrast to many animals, which are able to locomote at birth, and rapidly improve their locomotion skills with few real-world interactions. Such motor control is possible through oscillatory neural networks located in the spinal cord of vertebrates, known as Central Pattern Generators (CPGs). Models of the CPG have been widely used to generate locomotion skills in robotics, but can require extensive hand-tuning or offline optimization of inter-connected parameters with genetic algorithms. In this paper, we present a framework for the \textit{online} optimization of the CPG parameters through Bayesian Optimization. We show that our framework can rapidly optimize and adapt to varying velocity commands and changes in the terrain, for example to varying coefficients of friction, terrain slope angles, and added mass payloads placed on the robot. We study the effects of sensory feedback on the CPG, and find that both force feedback in the phase equations, as well as posture control (Virtual Model Control) are both beneficial for robot stability and energy efficiency. In hardware experiments on the Unitree Go1, we show rapid optimization (in under 3 minutes) and adaptation of energy-efficient gaits to varying target velocities in a variety of scenarios: varying coefficients of friction, added payloads up to 15 kg, and variable slopes up to 10 degrees. See demo at: https://youtu.be/4qq5leCI2AI
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_16417
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Online Optimization of Central Pattern Generators for Quadruped Locomotion
Zhang, Zewei
Bellegarda, Guillaume
Shafiee, Milad
Ijspeert, Auke
Robotics
Typical legged locomotion controllers are designed or trained offline. This is in contrast to many animals, which are able to locomote at birth, and rapidly improve their locomotion skills with few real-world interactions. Such motor control is possible through oscillatory neural networks located in the spinal cord of vertebrates, known as Central Pattern Generators (CPGs). Models of the CPG have been widely used to generate locomotion skills in robotics, but can require extensive hand-tuning or offline optimization of inter-connected parameters with genetic algorithms. In this paper, we present a framework for the \textit{online} optimization of the CPG parameters through Bayesian Optimization. We show that our framework can rapidly optimize and adapt to varying velocity commands and changes in the terrain, for example to varying coefficients of friction, terrain slope angles, and added mass payloads placed on the robot. We study the effects of sensory feedback on the CPG, and find that both force feedback in the phase equations, as well as posture control (Virtual Model Control) are both beneficial for robot stability and energy efficiency. In hardware experiments on the Unitree Go1, we show rapid optimization (in under 3 minutes) and adaptation of energy-efficient gaits to varying target velocities in a variety of scenarios: varying coefficients of friction, added payloads up to 15 kg, and variable slopes up to 10 degrees. See demo at: https://youtu.be/4qq5leCI2AI
title Online Optimization of Central Pattern Generators for Quadruped Locomotion
topic Robotics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.16417