Actuator Design of Compliant Walkers via Optimal Control

We present an optimization framework for the design and analysis of underactuated biped walkers, characterized by passive or actuated joints with rigid or non-negligible elastic actuation/transmission elements. The framework is based on optimal control, dealing with geometric constraints and various dynamic objective functions, as well as boundary conditions, which helps in selecting optimal values both for the actuation and the transmission parameters. Solutions of the formulated problems are shown for different kinds of bipedal architectures, and comparisons drawn between traditional rigid robots and compliant ones show the energy-efficiency of compliant actuators in the context of locomotion.