Real-time footstep planning for humanoid robots among 3D obstacles using a hybrid bounding box

Abstract

In this paper we introduce a new bounding box method for footstep planning for humanoid robots. Similar to the classic bounding box method (which uses a single rectangular box to encompass the robot) it is computationally efficient, easy to implement and can be combined with any rigid body motion planning library. However, unlike the classic bounding box method, our method takes into account the stepping over capabilities of the robot, and generates precise leg trajectories to avoid obstacles on the ground. We demonstrate that this method is well suited for footstep planning in cluttered environments. © 2012 IEEE.