Hexapod robot energy consumption dependence on body elevation and step height

Abstract

Walking robots are well known for being able to walk over rough terrain and adapt to various environments. Hexapod robots are chosen because of their better stability and higher number of different gaits. However, having to hold the whole weight of the body and a large number of actuators makes all walking robots less energetically efficient than wheeled machines. Special methods for energy consumption optimization must be found. In this paper, hexapod robot energy consumption dependence on body elevation and step height is presented. Three main hexapod gaits are used: tripod, tetrapod and wave. Experimental results show that energy consumption does not depend on body elevation or gait. Although, higher steps increases the power consumption. Therefore, when walking over even terrain, lower step heights along with higher body elevation must be selected for tripod or tetrapod gait in order to surpass ground irregularities but still maintain maximum energetic efficiency.