The evolution of cognition: from first order to second order embodiment
ZiF'06 Proceedings of the Embodied communication in humans and machines, 2nd ZiF research group international conference on Modeling communication with robots and virtual humans
An inter-segmental network model and its use in elucidating gait-switches in the stick insect
Journal of Computational Neuroscience
Neural control of a modular multi-legged walking machine: Simulation and hardware
Robotics and Autonomous Systems
No need for a body model: Positive velocity feedback for the control of an 18-DOF robot walker
Applied Bionics and Biomechanics
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The control of the legs of a walking hexapod is a complex problem as the legs have three joints each, resulting in a total of 18 degrees of freedom. We addressed this problem using a decentralized architecture termed Walknet, which consists of peripheral pattern generators being coordinated through influences acting mainly between neighbouring legs. Both, the coordinating influences and the local control modules (each acting only on one leg), are biologically inspired. This investigation shows that it is possible to adapt this approach to account for additional biological data by (1) changing the structure of the selector net in a biological plausible way (including force as an analog variable), (2) introducing a biologically motivated coordination influence for coactivation between legs and (3) adding a hypothetical influence between hind and front legs. This network of controllers has been tested using a dynamic simulation. It is able to describe (a) the behaviour of animals walking with one or two legs being amputated and (b) force oscillations that occur in a specific experimental situation, the standing legs of a walking animal.