THE HYQ ROBOT OF ITALIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

THE HYQ ROBOT OF ITALIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Hi,

Hydraulically actuated Quadruped robot is being prepared to navigate rough ground, jump and run at speeds up to 15 km/h.

It is fast, robust, squat jump, move in an unnervingly like insect or kick a cardboard box.

Movements of different types are achieved through torque control, whereby the robot calculates what torque should be applied to each joint. The brain accountable for the calculations is a modest Linux running PC.

• System Specification of HyQ:

• 1.0m x 0.5m x 0.98m Dimension
• 70Kg Weight
• 12 Active DoF
• Hydraulic cylinders 80mm stroke, 16mm bore
• 120-degree joint range of motion
• 152Nm Maximum electric torque
• 145Nm Maximum hydraulic torque
• High resolution position and torque on each joint
• Cylinder chamber pressure
• Inertial measurement unit hydraulic system
• PC104 Pentium, real-time Linux
• 1KHZ Control frequency
• DC brushless motors with harmonic gear

To ensure the high joint speed and torque essential to perform all these stunts, this robot has been built-in twelve joints of which eight are actuated by hydraulic cylinders and brushless DC motors handle four. Each of the lightweight aluminum and stainless steel legs presents three degrees of freedom, which guarantees suppleness of movement.

Trunk of Hydraulically actuated Quadruped is made of stainless steel and a folded, 3mm thick sheet of aluminum alloy.

The 1 m long, 50 cm wide and 98 cm tall robot weighs ninety kg with the hydraulic power supply on board, and seventy kg with external hydraulics. Hydraulic actuation allows high power density, high torque output and velocity. It also offers for high bandwidth torque control.

It has solar formation and rechargeable batteries.