Distributed Computation in a Quadrupedal Robotic System

Today's and future space missions (will) have to deal with increasing requirements regarding autonomy and flexibility in the locomotor system. To cope with these requirements, a higher bandwidth for sensor information is needed. In this paper, a robotic system is presented that is equipped with artificial feet and a spine incorporating increased sensing capabilities for walking robots. In the proposed quadrupedal robotic system, the front and rear parts are connected via an actuated spinal structure with six degrees of freedom. In order to increase the robustness of the system's locomotion in terms of traction and stability, a foot-like structure equipped with various sensors has been developed. In terms of distributed local control, both structures are as self-contained as possible with regard to sensing, sensor preprocessing, control and communication. This allows the robot to respond rapidly to occurring events with only minor latency