Jet-HR1: Stepping Posture Optimization for Bipedal Robot Over Large Ditch Based on a Ducted-fan Propulsion System

This paper reports the latest progress of an ongoing project utilizing a ducted-fan propulsion system to improve a humanoid robot's ability to step over a broad ditch with a height difference between the two sides. This work focuses on the methods of calculating the boundary and optimizing stepping posture to use less thrust and keep the robot balanced while stepping over the ditch. With the proposed methods and new two-dimensional gaits, the prototype robot, named Jet-HRl (Jet Humanoid Robot ver.l) was able to completely step over a broad ditch with 450mm in width (up to 97% of the robot's leg's length), and a height difference of 100mm between two sides.