A hexapod walks over irregular terrain using a controller adapted from an insect's nervous system

Insects have long been a source of inspiration for the design and implementation of legged robots. Their extraordinary mobility, agility, and adaptability are features sought after when developing competent, useful mobile walkers. Externally witnessed behaviors have been successfully implemented in walking robots for decades with great success. More recent years of biological study have solved some of the mysteries surrounding the actual neurobiological methods for mobilizing these legged wonders. This paper describes the first implementation of these neurobiological mechanisms in a physical hexapod robot that is capable of generating adaptive stepping actions with the same underlying control method as an insect. ©2010 IEEE