Augmenting Inertial Motion Capture with SLAM Using EKF and SRUKF Data Fusion Algorithms

Inertial motion capture systems widely use low-cost IMUs to obtain the orientation of human body segments, but these sensors alone are unable to estimate link positions. Therefore, this research used a SLAM method in conjunction with inertial data fusion to estimate link positions. SLAM is a method that tracks a target in a reconstructed map of the environment using a camera. This paper proposes quaternion-based extended and square-root unscented Kalman filters (EKF & SRUKF) algorithms for pose estimation. The Kalman filters use measurements based on SLAM position data, multi-link biomechanical constraints, and vertical referencing to correct errors. In addition to the sensor biases, the fusion algorithm is capable of estimating link geometries, allowing the imposing of biomechanical constraints without a priori knowledge of sensor positions. An optical tracking system is used as a reference of ground-truth to experimentally evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm in various scenarios of human arm movements. The proposed algorithms achieve up to 5.87 (cm) and 1.1 (deg) accuracy in position and attitude estimation. Compared to the EKF, the SRUKF algorithm presents a smoother and higher convergence rate but is 2.4 times more computationally demanding. After convergence, the SRUKF is up to 17% less and 36% more accurate than the EKF in position and attitude estimation, respectively. Using an absolute position measurement method instead of SLAM produced 80% and 40%, in the case of EKF, and 60% and 6%, in the case of SRUKF, less error in position and attitude estimation, respectively.

Optimal Motion Generation of the Bipedal Under-Actuated Planar Robot for Stair Climbing

The importance of humanoid robots in today's world is undeniable, one of the most important features of humanoid robots is the ability to maneuver in environments such as stairs that other robots can not easily cross. A suitable algorithm to generate the path for the bipedal robot to climb is very important. In this paper, an optimization-based method to generate an optimal stairway for under-actuated bipedal robots without an ankle actuator is presented. The generated paths are based on zero and non-zero dynamics of the problem, and according to the satisfaction of the zero dynamics constraint in the problem, tracking the path is possible, in other words, the problem can be dynamically feasible. The optimization method used in the problem is a gradient-based method that has a suitable number of function evaluations for computational processing. This method can also be utilized to go down the stairs.

Impact Invariant Trajectory Optimization of 5-Link Biped Robot Using Hybrid Optimization

Bipedal robots have received much attention because of the variety of motion maneuvers that they can produce, and the many applications they have in various areas including rehabilitation. One of these motion maneuvers is walking. In this study, we presented a framework for the trajectory optimization of a 5-link (planar) Biped Robot using hybrid optimization. The walking is modeled with two phases of single-stance (support) phase and the collision phase. The dynamic equations of the robot in each phase are extracted by the Lagrange method. It is assumed that the robot heel strike to the ground is full plastic. The gait is optimized with a method called hybrid optimization. The objective function of this problem is considered to be the integral of torque-squared along the trajectory, and also various constraints such as zero dynamics are satisfied without any approximation. Furthermore, in a new framework, there is presented a constraint called impact invariance, which ensures the periodicity of the time-varying trajectories. On the other hand, other constraints provide better and more human-like movement.

Human Leg Motion Tracking by Fusing IMUs and RGB Camera Data Using Extended Kalman Filter

Human motion capture is frequently used to study rehabilitation and clinical problems, as well as to provide realistic animation for the entertainment industry. IMU-based systems, as well as Marker-based motion tracking systems, are the most popular methods to track movement due to their low cost of implementation and lightweight. This paper proposes a quaternion-based Extended Kalman filter approach to recover the human leg segments motions with a set of IMU sensors data fused with camera-marker system data. In this paper, an Extended Kalman Filter approach is developed to fuse the data of two IMUs and one RGB camera for human leg motion tracking. Based on the complementary properties of the inertial sensors and camera-marker system, in the introduced new measurement model, the orientation data of the upper leg and the lower leg is updated through three measurement equations. The positioning of the human body is made possible by the tracked position of the pelvis joint by the camera marker system. A mathematical model has been utilized to estimate joints' depth in 2D images. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm is evaluated by an optical motion tracker system.