Thread: Robotics and Balance: Fail.

After having recently played through the HL2 series again, I spent a bit of time observing how the Striders (tripods) moved on three legs. It got me to wondering: why are modern attempts at getting a machine to balance on 2 or 3 legs so undeveloped? The best display of balance in a robot I've seen so far (on legs, mind you) has been in the Honda Asimo Robot, and even that seems to be very slow and calculated. The movement doesn't appear to be fluid or 'natural'. Here we are, trying so diligently to discover the missing component for awareness in a program, and we can't get the damn things to stand up straight, or to get up after they fall down anyways. There's always a nifty piece of technology I'm seeing in a game or film every now and then that can theoretically work in the real world, but doesn't exist due to lack of enthusiasm on part of potential developers or funding (I'll have to name some examples as I come upon them, but for the moment would prefer to leave this thread in the realm of balancing machines).

I want to pose a series of questions, and for the example we'll be using a theoretical strider.

Spoiler for Strider:

This thing would need to constantly shift its weight in order to remain upright while it moves with one leg at a time. A number of sensors that measure the weight being exerted on each leg, and the angle of the joints with respect to the hull and the ground could feed the input to the computer that would constantly be correcting the orientation of the legs to maintain a balanced center of gravity.

How will we program this?
-Are we going to be using multiple processors for individual components of the strider that speak to each other, or can one processor run the entire thing?
-What language are we using to do this (I know next to nothing about programming, and am willing to learn)?

How will we give it the ability to climb and descend inclines?
-What kind of visual sensors are we using?
-Can we allow it to perceive depth?
-Is echolocation a possibility for mapping 3-dimensional changes in the environment?

MECHANICS!
-What are the legs composed of? Are we using hydraulics for the joints, and if so, can we get the joints to overextend?
-Can we implement the use of heavy, heavy springs in the legs to give the machine a more natural "bounce" as it walks? Would this suffice as a form of shocks?
-The joint that merges the leg with the hull has a sort of 'ball and socket' type range of movement. How will we make that work?



Movement is all I wish to cover in the meantime. In the future I'd like to pursue giving the strider the ability to identify and differentiate between objects via visual means. I feel that giving it the ability to make out potential threats will allow it to avoid otherwise hazardous scenarios. For now, at least, we're worried about having it not just fall over and stay that way.If you have suggestions for how we'd have the strider stand upright again after having fallen over, let's hear it! I'm sure there are loads of other questions that need answering, and in due time they will surface.

You do not need to answer all of the questions. An in depth look at any one aspect of this theoretical machine will shed much light on how to build something similar in design.

Well then, what do think about this? Speak.

[EDIT]
A source of power for a life-size version might not be a bad thing to discuss either. I'd like to stay away from petrol, but I'll need to know if hydraulic pumps can be powered sufficiently enough from on-board batteries (and in the future, supercapacitors).

I know we have some engineers here, and I know there are some great ideas to be had.