Abstract

The vision of humanoid robots which mimic abilities of humans has inspired researchers for decades. Yet transferring human abilities into a robotic counterpart has proven to be highly challenging in most cases. The recently launched BioBiped project aims at realizing human-like three-dimensional running, walking and standing and herewith allowing the free selection of speed and gait. For achieving this goal, the SIM Group of TU Darmstadt and the Locomotion Laboratory of TU Darmstadt cooperate in this project.

Integration of biomechanics research in the concept of the development of versatile, robust and energy-efficient bipedal robots may represent an essential tool to get a step closer to robots with human-like locomotion capabilities.

In 2010, BioBiped1 was presented as the first of a planned series of musculoskeletal robotics platforms being developed for the purpose of investigating and evaluating hypotheses and results from biomechanics of human locomotion in robotics and their transfer to new robotic platforms.

Based on scientific and experimental results, the mechanics and electronics were modified towards a more innovative design with enhanced locomotion capabilities. By now, two more robots, BioBiped2 and BioBiped3, were presented in 2012 and 2014/15, respectively.

The project has been funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft from 2009 to 2015.