Coordinating Spinal and Limb Dynamics for Enhanced Sprawling Robot Mobility

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2504.14103v1
• Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2025 23:08:48 GMT
• Title: Coordinating Spinal and Limb Dynamics for Enhanced Sprawling Robot Mobility
• Authors: Merve Atasever, Ali Okhovat, Azhang Nazaripouya, John Nisbet, Omer Kurkutlu, Jyotirmoy V. Deshmukh, Yasemin Ozkan Aydin,
• Abstract summary: A flexible spine enables undulation of the body through a wavelike motion along the spine, aiding navigation over uneven terrains and obstacles.<n>Environmental uncertainties, such as surface irregularities and variations in friction, can significantly disrupt body-limb coordination.<n>Deep reinforcement learning offers a promising framework for handling non-deterministic environments.<n>We comparatively examine learning-based control strategies and biologically inspired gait design methods on a salamander-like robot.
• Score: 0.047116288835793156
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Abstract: Among vertebrates, salamanders, with their unique ability to transition between walking and swimming gaits, highlight the role of spinal mobility in locomotion. A flexible spine enables undulation of the body through a wavelike motion along the spine, aiding navigation over uneven terrains and obstacles. Yet environmental uncertainties, such as surface irregularities and variations in friction, can significantly disrupt body-limb coordination and cause discrepancies between predictions from mathematical models and real-world outcomes. Addressing this challenge requires the development of sophisticated control strategies capable of dynamically adapting to uncertain conditions while maintaining efficient locomotion. Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) offers a promising framework for handling non-deterministic environments and enabling robotic systems to adapt effectively and perform robustly under challenging conditions. In this study, we comparatively examine learning-based control strategies and biologically inspired gait design methods on a salamander-like robot.

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