Simulation for the Optimal Design of a Biped Robot: Analysis of Energy Consumption

Our first aim is to develop a systematic method to estimate energy consumption of bipedal locomotion. This method is then used to evaluate the performance of materials and actuators that could be used for the design of a biped robot. Moreover, with this analysis we also demonstrated the importance of having good joint trajectories in order to reduce energy consumption. Results collected are then integrated with complementary information about materials and actuators, to finally suggest the best configurations. These indications are meant to be used for future developments of LARP, the biped of Politecnico di Milano. The method adopted, however, is general enough to produce valid results for any robot, and we hope our considerations will help in evaluating design choices for future humanoid robots.