python/C hexapedal IK and gait engine

My website, with some images and more detail on this project.

See this other page for more detail on the forward kinematics DH parameter symbolic simplifier.

Current status:

• Generic FK math works well and can output ready-to-compile C to handle transformations quickly
• IK only exists for one very specific arrangement of revolute joints, but you can drop in a new one quite easily
• Step controller is in progress. Does high-level bezier or linear interpolation between points over time, and low-level speed variation to synchronize starts and stops
• Gait controller doesn't exist yet

To run:

Most objects, such as the Kinematic Chain and leg models have some demo/test methods in them

To start the interactive system use:

python test_controller.py

I stalled out in the python version, and wanted something that would have the possibility of running on embedded hardware so I started working on a C++ version which can be found in

/hexapod-engine/src/c_version/simulator/

There is a GLUT viewer that can show animated legs and chassis. Aside from GLUT the only other dependency is Eigen, for linear algebra. On ubuntu just download the eigen folder and drop it into the "simulator" folder(or edit the makefile). For GLUT, I think just do the package manager installation and that should be fine. Check the main file for some examples on what it does currently. Mostly Leg stuff for now, but I'll add the chassis stuff in the next month or so and then eventually actually test it.

Until I stratify my makefile and source files, you'll also need to add "dlib" to the top level directory, which I use for some optimization functions. You will also need to have "FreeType2" (libfreetype, libfreetype-dev) installed. I believe the package manager version should work.