It is important for walking robots such as quadruped robots to have an efficient gait. Since animals and insects are the basic models for most walking robots, their walking patterns are good examples.

In most discusions everyone has mention Oricom http://www.oricomtech.com/projects/leg-time.htm

An excelent site full of information.
The gaits of a quadruped here are analyzed and compared to natural animal gaits. but is there a more efficient design-build that can improve quadrupeds?

Genetic algorithms have been applied to obtain the energy-optimal gait when a quadruped robot is walking with a set velocity.
The gait which consumes the least energy is considered to be the best gait.

The energy-optimal gait is analyzed at several walking velocities, since the amount of walking energy consumption changes if the walking velocity of the robot is changed.

I guess the information i wish to discuss here is, what type of gait should be generated for a quadruped robot as its walking velocity changes.

Quadruped gait generation based on the primary/secondary gait

A gait algorithm is proposed utilizing a new method of gait generation called primary/secondary gait. The primary gait is a fixed sequence of leg transfers with modified leg-end kinematic limits according to the obstacle presence, while the secondary gait is a flexible gait which is generated to adjust the leg-end position. The primary gait is generated considenng the following four constraints: stability constraint, kinematic constraint, sequential constraint and neighboring constraints. Primary gait parameters are modified by the influence of the obstacle. Normally, the machine tends to move with the primary gait. When the primary gait cannot move the vehicle, the secondary gait is adopted to serve as a complement of the primary gait. With the proposed primary/secondary gait, it is expected to improve the efficiency of free gait generation while maintaining the mobility.

Jonny (innerbreed)
Photo: by innerbreed