Study of an 8-DoF Biped Robot Gait for

Single-Supported Phase
Abhishek Sarkar

Roll Y9205061, abhisar@iitk.ac.in

IIT Kanpur, UP - 208016

April 9, 2011

Abstract

In this study, kinematic and dynamic analysis of a biped robot of 8 DoF was done to
find out the joint-torques and zero-moment point (ZMP) [1]. ZMP is a very important
parameter for balancing of a biped robot. In this biped model, the ankle and hip joints
has 2 DoF each and knee joints has one. The gait of the biped was generated by giving
input the feet and hip trajectory for swing leg as shown in figure 1. Both these trajectories
were taken as circular arc. The gait was taken as repetitive in nature for both legs. So,
only one leg was simulated in this study. Torque required at each joint for the gait was
calculated. ZMP for the biped was also calculated to find out the stability of the biped
during walking. All of these calculations and plotting were done with MATLAB software.
Keywords: Biped, ZMP, Joint torque

1 Introduction
Robots were initially made for the repetitive and heavy tasks in industry, like manipula-
tion, lifting weights etc. But slowly the requirement of a mobile base for the robots was
felt, which can move from one place to another. There are two basic types of moving
robots - wheeled and legged. Among the different types of legged robots, bipeds with two
legs, represent a very interesting research subject, with several particularities and scope
topics, such as: mechanical design, gait simulation, patterns generation, kinematics, dy-
namics, equilibrium, stability, kinds of control, adaptability, biomechanics, cybernetics,
and rehabilitation technologies [2]. Main issue with different models of biped robots are
the balance and designing their gaits. When the number of legs becomes more it becomes
easier to balance and walk for a legged robot.
On the basis of the dynamics for stabilization, bipeds can be classified as passive and
active. The passive bipeds have no actuators and it can walk with some initial momentum
or with gravity force actuating the links. Active bipeds use actuators for movements. The
active bipeds can be balanced statically, for which their movements would be very slow.
To make the bipeds move faster the dynamic strategies with ZMP was evolved. A biped
walking gait is consisting of two steps a single support phase (SSP) or swing phase during
which the locomotion system evolves as an open kinematic chain; and a double support
phase (DSP), during which the locomotion system moves as a closed kinematic loop[3].

1
 0.35

0.3

Hip Trajectories

0.25

0.2

X −−>
0.15

0.1

Stance foot Trajectory

0.05

0
−0.2 −0.15 −0.1 −0.05 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2
Z −−>

Figure 1: Initial feet and hip trajectory of biped

The architecture of a humans lower limb is very complex. The hip articulation has 3
revolutionary degrees of mobility. The articulations of the knees and the ankles each have
two DoF. In this study a simplified biped model of 8 DoF was taken (the ankle and hip
joints has 2 DoF each and knee joint has one). The gait of the biped was generated by
giving input the feet and hip trajectory and calculating the other joint positions by inverse
kinematics method. The analysis was done for a SSP of the biped gait by taking both
of these trajectories as circular arc. The time required for the swing motion was divided
into 10 steps. At each time interval feet and hip joint locations were generated from
the required trajectory, which are plotted in figure 2. Then inverse kinematic solution
was done to find other joint position and motion parameters. Then joint-torques were
calculated. ZMP was also calculated for each time intervals. All of these calculations and
plotting were done with the help of MATLAB software.

0.35
Joint 5
Joint 4
0.3

0.25

0.2
X −−>

Joint 3

0.15 Joint 6

0.1 Joint 1 & 2

0.05 Joint 7 & 8

0
−0.15 −0.1 −0.05 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
Z −−>

Figure 2: Simulation of the SSP phase

2
2 ZMP Calculation[4]
ZMP is the point about which sum of all moments due to the masses of the links and the
acceleration of each links of the biped is zero. If ZMP falls outside the supporting foot
area then the resulting moment would result a destabilizing effect on the biped. If at least
one foot of the robot is on the ground, ZMP approach can be used to find out the stable
configuration during each point of time of a gait.
In order to mathematically analyze the dynamics of the system, D’Alembert’s principle
is used. A reference frame is taken as OXYX. The position vector of ZMP with respect
to the reference frame is r0 and the position of CG of ith link is ri . The moment of the
mass mi about ZMP will be,
X
mi (ri − r0 ) × (−ri + G) + T = 0 (1)
i

The above equation can be written in terms of forces,

       
Xi − X0 Fix Tix 0
 Yi − Y0  ×  Fiy  −  Tiy  =  0  (2)
Zi − Z0 Fiz Tiz 0

where, Fi and Ti are the force and torque respectively acting on the ith link. Since the
ZMP lies on the Z-Y plane, (X0 = 0), the Z0 and Y0 coordinates of ZMP are,
Pn
(Xi Fiz − Zi Fix − Tiy )
Z0 = i=1 Pn
i=1 Fix
Pn
i=1 (Yi F − xi Fiy − Tix )
Y0 = Pixn (3)
i=1 Fix
This point must be inside the supporting foot perimeter for the biped to be balanced
during walking.

0.2 4 4 4
Th Th
3 dth 3 3 dth
0.15 ddth ddth
2 2 2
0.1
1 1 1

0.05
0 0 0

0 −1 −1 −1
0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15
Time intervals Time intervals Time intervals Time intervals

6 2 1 0.2
Th
dth 0.5
4 ddth 1 0.15
0

2 0 −0.5 0.1

−1
0 −1 0.05
−1.5

−2 −2 −2 0
0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15
Time intervals Time intervals Time intervals Time intervals

Figure 3: Change in joint-angle (Th), angular velocity (dth) and acceleration (ddth) of
the biped

3
3 Simulation and Results
For the dynamic simulation the step length was taken as 0.2 m. Time of SSP was taken
as 1 sec. The other parameters for the biped robot were taken as: link length , L = 0.2
m, hip length = 0.14 m, mass matrix = [0 1.3122 1.3122 2.7128 1.3122 1.3122 0 1.3348],
length of the foot = 0.2 m and width of the foot = 0.07 m. Initial hip height was taken as
0.32 m. The initial side tilt of the biped towards the stance foot was taken fixed all along
the simulation as 10 degrees.
For generating the above gait each joint should be actuated properly to follow the
angular velocity and acceleration pattern generated by inverse kinematic analysis. The
change of joint-angles, angular velocity and acceleration are plotted in figure 3. For the
above parameters the ZMP was calculated and plotted in figure4. It can be seen that the
ZMP is inside the stance foot for the entire SSP. So, according to this analysis, the biped
would be stable during the walking cycle. The torque values for different joints of the
biped at SSP are shown in figure 5.

0.06

0.04

0.02
Y −−>

−0.02

−0.04

−0.06

−0.1 −0.05 0 0.05 0.1

Z −−>

Figure 4: Change in ZMP position during SSP within the stance foot

4 Plot of Torque 4 Plot of Torque 4 Plot of Torque Plot of Torque

x 10 x 10 x 10
0 6 2 4000

−0.5 3000
4 1.5
−1 2000
Torque

Torque

Torque

Torque

−1.5 2 1 1000

−2 0
0 0.5
−2.5 −1000

−3 −2 0 −2000
0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15
Time Intervals Time Intervals Time Intervals Time Intervals

Plot of Torque Plot of Torque Plot of Torque Plot of Torque

1000 200 40 0

800 100 30
−20

600 0 20
Torque

Torque

Torque

Torque

−40
400 −100 10

−60
200 −200 0

0 −300 −10 −80

0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15
Time Intervals Time Intervals Time Intervals Time Intervals

Figure 5: The joint-torques at different time intervals for the biped

During SSP, the stance foot on the ground performs two functions simultaneously - it
carries the body weight (balances the robot from falling) and it actuates the robot such

4
that the swing leg can move forward. For this movement the torque acting at each joint
varies with several parameters which affect the acceleration, velocity and position during
walk. From figure 5 it can be seen that the torque at joint 2 (ankle joint of stance foot)
is more compared to other joints. It can be interpreted that the ankle of stance leg is the
most crucial joint for walking. The next highest torque is at joint 3 that is the knee joint
of stance foot. Torque at the joints of swing leg are less compared to stance leg. As it is
not carrying the body weight of the biped.

4 Conclusions
The kinematic dynamic analysis is done with a 8 DoF biped model and the simulation
code is developed in MATLAB, which can compute the torques at different joints and the
ZMP. A stable gait of the biped model is developed considering the ZMP.
The joint-torque patterns, calculated from the dynamic analysis are highly fluctuating.
So, further analysis is required for getting more smooth and continuously varying joint-
torques.
In this study the biped model was taken as 8 DoF. It can be increased to mimic the
human gait more accurately.

References
[1] Vukobratovic M. and Borovac B., Zero-moment Point Thirty five years of its life, Int.
J. of Humanoid Robotics, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2004, pp. 157-173.

[2] Filho A. C. de-P., Biped Robots (Edited), Intecch, 2011.

[3] Chevallereau C. et. al., Bipedal Robots, John Wiley and Sons, 2009.

[4] Singh S. P., Design of a Biped Robot with Torsional Springs at the Joints for Reduced
Energy Consumption during Walk, M Tech Thesis, IIT Kanpur, June 2008.