Introduction
The Chopsticks Biped is an ongoing personal project focused on dynamic legged locomotion through integrated mechanical and control design. The project explores the design and control of a compact biped robot with a robust leg structure, using the Chopstick Actuator for high torque bandwidth and backdrivability.
Design
The robot features a leg design inspired by MIT Mini Cheetah, with three degrees of freedom per leg. The leg is powered by the Chopstick Actuator, a 6:1 reduction ratio quasi-direct drive BLDC actuator with FOC control built-in. The legs has abduction, hip, and knee joints, allowing for simplified control and analysis while still enabling dynamic walking behaviors. The mechanical structure emphasizes low inertia and high backdrivability, facilitating direct torque control by increasing torque control bandwidth.
Ongoing Development
The project is currently in the early stages of development, with initial efforts focused on testing with single-leg balancing and planar walking using the 2 DOF leg configuration. Current efforts focus on validating torque bandwidth experimentally and extending from planar stabilization toward fully three-dimensional balance and gait control.