Humanoid Robotics
Introduction
ISR has been doing research concerning small humanoid robots, dealing mainly with anthropomorphic walking pattern. In order to implement new algorithms that allow us to great more complex and human-like movements, a Bioloid Expert Kit has been acquired and the Humanoid model has been assembled. The model originally consists on 18 servos and 1 distance sensor, controlled by a processing unit through a half-duplex UART, connected in a daisy-chain.
Research Activities
Currently the work being done consists in developing balance and walking algorithms, using an enhanced version of the Bioloid, as well as a simulation environment using Webots. The next few sections will deal with the Bioloid platform, the improvements that are currently being done and the reasons behind these decisions, and finally the kind of experiments and methods used for attaining the final goals.
The Bioloid Humanoid
This platform was made by Robotis and features the ability to be assembled into different models, from a robotic arm or a simple pair of walking legs to a puppy or the humanoid. Even the models suggested can be changed into more complex versions and a vast range of examples can be found online. Two of the top forums to obtain further info and ideas are Robosavvy and Tribotix.
The Bioloid Kit features a CM-5 controller (includes an ATMega128 microprocessor, 16MHz and two UARTs), Dynamixel AX-12+ servos and a Dynamixel AX-S1 distance sensor. The CM-5 is connected to the servos and sensors using a bus connecting all devices through a daisy-chain network. It can also be connected to a computer using a serial connection, giving access to many different ways of dealing with the robot.
For more detailed information about the Bioloid, check ISR Bioloid Humanoid.