Dynamic Legged Systems Lab

The Dynamic Legged Systems focuses on research that concerns the design and control aspects of agile legged robots. We are interested in the development of legged robotic systems, chiefly quadrupeds, and we are investigating ways that can increase flexibility and performance of legged designs. Apart from developing agile quadruped robots we emphasize the need for accurate and robust control, ranging from the level of individual joints up to the overall behavior of the legged robot. Apart from accurate hydraulic force/torque control at the joint level we are investigating ways of creating and using a variety of different locomotion gaits, that are robust to external disturbances and changing environmental conditions. A significant part of our groups' effort is devoted to perception tailored to dynamic quadrupedal robots. Our flagship platforms are the HyQ robots (HyQ, HyQ2Max, HyQReal). Since its construction in 2010, HyQ demonstrated a wide repertoire of motions ranging from stair climbing, chimney climbing, omnidirectional trotting over rough terrain, trotting with step reflexes, to flying trotting and jumping. Our latest generation quadruped HyQReal has been released in May 2019 demonstrating its strength by pulling a small passenger airplane.