%0 Journal Article
%T Using the Functional Reach Test for Probing the Static Stability of Bipedal Standing in Humanoid Robots Based on the Passive Motion Paradigm
%A Jacopo Zenzeri
%A Dalia De Santis
%A Vishwanathan Mohan
%A Maura Casadio
%A Pietro Morasso
%J Journal of Robotics
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/126570
%X The goal of this paper is to analyze the static stability of a computational architecture, based on the Passive Motion Paradigm, for coordinating the redundant degrees of freedom of a humanoid robot during whole-body reaching movements in bipedal standing. The analysis is based on a simulation study that implements the Functional Reach Test, originally developed for assessing the danger of falling in elderly people. The study is carried out in the YARP environment that allows realistic simulations with the iCub humanoid robot. 1. Introduction In humans the ability to stand up on two legs is a necessary prerequisite for bipedal walking. Moreover, there is ample neurophysiological evidence that standing and walking are rather independent control mechanisms. Therefore, we suggest that also humanoid robots should be trained first to master the unstable standing posture in a generality of situations and then learn to walk. We shall address this issue in relation with the humanoid robot iCub [1], which has the size of a three-year-old child (height is 105£¿cm and weight is 14.2£¿Kg) and has 53 degrees of freedom (DoF): 7£¿DoFs for each arm, 9 for each hand, 6 for the head, 3 for the trunk and spine, and 6 for each leg. iCub is still unable to stand or walk but only to crawl, as baby toddlers of the same age. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to carry out a preliminary study of the computational processes that may allow iCub to achieve the sensorimotor competence that is necessary for bipedal standing. The study builds upon what has already been achieved in the bimanual coordination of iCub¡¯s movements [2, 3], using the Passive Motion Paradigm which is a biomimetic, force-field based computational model based on the equilibrium point hypothesis. The model has been evaluated and validated both in a simulated environment and in real movements. However, the present study is limited to the simulation stage for ¡°developmental constraints,¡± because the sensorimotor system of iCub has not matured enough to achieve the features that are necessary for standing (postural control system) and walking (bipedal locomotion system) in a biomimetic, compliant way. Compliant motion is currently operating on the proximal joints of the upper and lower limbs. Biomimetic postural control requires a compliant ankle and this development will become available in the near future. As a matter of fact, the whole body postural control system has two basic components: static (P1) and dynamic (P2). P1 requires that for each time instant the projection of the Center of Mass (CoM) on the
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jr/2013/126570/