Biologically-based Controller For A Shallow Water Walking Machine

Crustaceans have be'en engineered by evolution to adapt and survive in a :jhallow water hydro-dynamic environment. We have formed a collaboration between biology and engineering to explore how lobsters navigate in shallow waters and to build a shallow water walking robot based on the biological studies. We have formalized the basic structure of this model in terms of central pattern generators, command and coordinating systems. The central pattern generator controls the motion of the leg appropriate to walking in all directions. The coordinating systems controls that gait pattern of the legs. Proprioceptive and exteroceptive reflexes alter the path of a leg or the pattern of coordinated leg motions. We have built a simulator which models the central pattern generator and coordination. It demonstrates basic walking motions in any direction and at multiple speeds with a prototype leg. We are currently building an eight legged terrestrial walking machine based on the morphology of the lobster. In the future we will add more sensing, reflexes, and taxes to our simulator and robot. We plan to implement an underwater version of this robot.