Learning Quadruped Locomotion using Bio-Inspired Neural Networks with Intrinsic Rhythmicity

Abstract-- Biological studies reveal that neural circuits located at the spinal cord called central pattern generator (CPG) oscillates and generates rhythmic signals, which are the underlying mechanism responsible for rhythmic locomotion behaviors of animals. Inspired by CPG's capability to naturally generate rhythmic patterns, researchers have attempted to create mathematical models of CPG and utilize them for the One approach is to add an I. INTRODUCTION The phase Animals are able to adapt their locomotion gait pattern to increment is added to the current phase and is used as the suit the locomotion velocity and ground condition. Efforts phase for the next timestep in a bootstrap manner [6], [7], have been put into discovering the underlying mechanism of [4]. To reproduce the agile locomotion behaviors of animals animal locomotion, and have obtained evidence that legged in legged robots, researchers have looked into animals for locomotion is rhythmic in nature. Inspired by findings of CPGs within the animal evidence of special neurons called central pattern generators nervous system, there have also been attempts in utilizing the in the animal spinal cord.