Year of defence: 2018

Manuscript available here

Abstract

Humanoid robotics actuation and control is complex as this field has specific needs. This involves the design of advanced mechatronic constructions. In this thesis, we focused on the humanoid robots actuation and paid particular attention to systems with good compliance capabilities. Compliance refers to the ability of the system to adapt to its environment by adopting a flexible behaviour. This feature is particularly sought after for human-robot interactions and to make contacts between the robot and its environment smoother. We studied two systems in detail : the first is a system based on Mckibben's artificial pneumatic muscles and the second is an electric cable driven actuator with flexibility. We have developed and implemented a control architecture for the control of both systems. The interest of this architecture lies in its generic nature and in its use within a model predictive control scheme. We then studied the thermal behaviour of an actuator in order to exploit the full potential of this system while ensuring its integrity. Finally, we have carried out developments to improve the joint torque control of the humanoid robot Talos.