Torque-Stiffness-Controlled Dynamic Walking: Analysis of the Behaviors of Bipeds with Both Adaptable Joint Torque and Joint Stiffness

This article presents a general paradigm, torque-stiffness-controlled dynamic walking, to analyze the behaviors of bipeds with both adaptable joint torque and joint stiffness. A bioinspired control method with central pattern generators (CPGs) is applied to realize limb coordination and smooth walking pattern transitions. To better illustrate the proposed paradigm, we show the respective effects of joint torque and joint stiffness on walking performance and motion control in both a four-link simulated model and a robot prototype. This study may develop a new solution for the motion control of bipedal robots with adaptable joint stiffness and provide insights into the principles of efficient and adaptive human walking.