Control of Bipedal Turning While Running

There remain unsolved control problems for running bipedal robots. In this work, dynamic principles are used to develop a set of heuristics for executing running turns. A specific system is then considered, with 17 DOF, 7 of which are active, a low inertia torso, and mechanical coupling between the knee and ankle joints. For this system, the heuristics are distilled into control laws governing the active joint torques. These control laws are implemented in simulation to achieve stable and smooth turning while running.