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GRASP Lab Seminar 2003-2004
March 19, 11:00 AM, Levine Hall 307, hosted by Vijay Kumar.
Mark
Spong
University of Illinois
Passivity Based Control of Bipedal Locomotion
Abstract: The idea that it is possible to achieve stable walking down constant inclines without sensing or actuation of any kind in certain mechanical systems has intrigued robotics researchers for over a decade, ever since the work of McGeer who first built several passive bipeds. In this talk we discuss the relationship between such passive walking and so-called passivity based nonlinear control. We show how active control can be used to mimic passive walking on arbitrary slopes. Our results rely on some symmetry properties in mechanical systems with respect to the group action of SO(3) on the configuration manifold of the biped. Simulations and animations will be shown to illustrate the theoretical results.
Biography: Professor Spong received the B.A. degree, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, in mathematics and physics from Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio in 1975, the M.S. degree in mathematics from New Mexico State University in 1977, and the M.S. and D.Sc. degrees in systems science and mathematics in 1979 and 1981, respectively, from Washington University in St. Louis, Misouri. Since 1984 he has been at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he is currently Donald B. Willet Professor of Engineering, Research Professor in the Coordinated Science Laboratory, and Interim Head of the Department of General Engineering. He is President-elect of the IEEE Control Systems Society for 2004 and has served the Society as Vice-President for Publication Activities, Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, and as a member of its Board of Governors. Dr. Spong is a Fellow of the IEEE and President of Mechatronic Systems, Inc., a company which he founded in 1996. His recent honors include the Senior U.S. Scientist Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in 1999, the IEEE 3rd Millennium Medal in 2000, the O.Hugo Schuck Award from the American Automatic Control Council in 2001, and the Distinguished Member Award from the IEEE Control Systems Society in 2002. Dr. Spong's research interests are in nonlinear control and robotics. He has published over 180 technical articles in control and robotics and is co-author of two books.
