Abstract: The central pattern generator (CPG) is often used for motion coordination control of legged robots. A hybrid neural oscillator is established for the motion coordination control of crawling quadruped robot with active flexible trunk. The proposed oscillator uses Hopf and Kuramoto oscillators to control the motion of robot limbs and trunk. The hybrid neural oscillator is used to achieve the coordinated behavior by building the coupling relationship between two kinds of oscillator. A virtual prototype of a crawling quadruped robot is established using the simulation platform, and the linear motion simulation experiment is performed for the walk and trot gait and the compliant switching between the two gaits. At the same time, the feasibility of motion coordination control is verified, and the linear motion video and foot trajectory of the virtual proptotype are obtained by the simulation platform. The simulated results show that the hybrid neural oscillator can bring about the linear motion of robot under walk and trot gait. With establishing the coordination relationship between the limbs and the trunk under the walk and trot gaits, the two gaits of robot can be switched by changing the phase difference among robot's limb oscillators.

Key words: crawlingquadrupedrobot, hybridneuraloscillator, gait, coordinatedcontrol