(A)
This video accompanies submission 311 for ICRA '07: "Simple Muscle Models Regularize Motion in a Robotic Leg with Neurally-Based Step Generation"

A 3-DOF robotic model of a stick insect right middle leg is controlled using Sensory Coordinated Action Switching Modules (SCASM).  The SCASM architecture used is based on known and hypothesized neural pathways from the stick insect Carausius morosus.  In the video as in the paper, four different femur-tibia joint muscle model test conditions are shown.

Sideways stepping:
	Null muscle model
	Piecewise-constant muscle model
Forward stepping:
	Piecewise-constant muscle model
	Linear muscle model

In sideways stepping the leg can easily get stuck pushing into the ground when the null muscle model is used, but a piecewise-constant muscle model allows reliable stepping in this case.  The adaptability of the SCASM step generation control to changes in substrate height is demonstrated using this case, by raising the height of the body link while the robot is stepping.
In forward stepping a linear muscle model at the FTi joint generates a smoother and (as shown in analyses in the paper) more regular stepping pattern than the piecewise-constant model.  The null muscle model is not shown because thus far it has always failed on the first step when attempting to generate forward walking movements.

Readers of the paper will get a more complete understanding of the test conditions used and the resulting robot behavior.

(B)
Any standards-compliant MPEG-4 playing program should be able to play this video.  It was created using Apple software and will definitely play using QuickTime 7.

(C)
The corresponding author for this material is the same as for the associated paper:
Brandon Rutter
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH 44106 USA
b.rutter@ieee.org
216-368-5216

Attachment filename: 0311_VI.mp4 (4667958 Bytes)