Fuzzy Logic Control of a Humanoid Robot on Unstable Terrain

This paper describes a novel system for enabling a humanoid robot to balance on highly dynamic terrain using fuzzy logic. We evaluate this system by programming Jimmy, a small, humanoid DARwIn-OP robot, to balance on a bongo board – a simple apparatus consisting of a deck resting on a free-rolling wheel – using our novel fuzzy logic system and a PID controller based on our previous work1 . Both control algorithms are tested using two different control policies: “do the shake,” wherein the robot attempts to keep the bongo board’s deck level by CoM manipulation; and “let’s sway,” wherein the robot pumps its legs up and down at regular intervals in an attempt to induce a state of dynamic stability to the system. Our experiments show that fuzzy logic control is equally capable to PID control for controlling a bongo board system.

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2015
• Where: ROBOCUP
• Authors: Chris Iverach-Brereton, Jacky Baltes, Brittany Postnikoff, Diana Carrier, John Anderson
• Keywords: ROBOCUP 2015, Robotics