Head Stabilization for Wheeled Bipedal Robots via Force-Estimation-Based Admittance Control

Wang, Tianyu, Yan, Chunxiang, Liao, Xuanhong, Zhang, Tao, Wang, Ping, Wen, Cong, Liu, Dingchuan, Yu, Haowen, Lyu, Ximin

arXiv.org Artificial Intelligence 

Abstract-- Wheeled bipedal robots are emerging as flexible platforms for field exploration. However, head instability induced by uneven terrain can degrade the accuracy of onboard sensors (e.g., cameras) or damage fragile payloads. Existing research primarily focuses on stabilizing the mobile platform but overlooks active stabilization of the head in the world frame, resulting in vertical oscillations that undermine overall stability. T o address this challenge, we developed a model-based ground force estimation method for our 6-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) wheeled bipedal robot. Leveraging these force estimates, we implemented an admittance control algorithm to enhance terrain adaptability. I. INTRODUCTION As robotics technology advances, wheeled bipedal robots are being increasingly deployed for agile exploration [1].