This paper proposes a novel locomotion control scheme of centipede-like multi-legged robot, which is called Follow-the-Contact-Point (FCP) gait control. A centipede-like multi-legged robot is composed of segmented trunks which have a pair of legs and are connected with fore and/or rear ones by joints. This control scheme realizes locomotion control of multilegged robot on uneven terrain with perfectly decentralized manner. The main concept of the control scheme is to relay the contact points from the fore leg to the rear leg. By creating contact points of the first legs adequately on the environment, the robot can climb over obstacles and be navigated successfully. Finally, the result of physical simulation of a 20-legged robot shows the availability of the proposed method.

This paper proposes a novel locomotion control, called Follow-the-Contact-Point (FCP) gait control, for a centipede-like multi-legged robot. The centipede-like multi-legged robot is composed by connecting segments, which have a trunk and a pair of legs, via a passive joint. This control method is motivated from behavioral knowledge of a centipede that each leg always contacts on the point which the anterior leg contacted. The FCP gait control realizes the walking behavior of centipede via decentralized event-driven control structure. In addition, merely by planning and allocating the contact point of legs of a head segment adequately, the robot can change the moving direction and also climb over an obstacle. We clarify the feasibility of the FCP gait control by showing the result of physical simulation of a 20-legged robot.

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This paper addresses on decentralized walking control of multi − 1egged robots based on Fellow − the − Contact −Point ( FCP )gait control and averaging control ofleg contact force ． These control schemes realize gait control and navigation control on uneven terrain simultaneously with perfectly decentralized manner ，In this paper， we introduce the control laws and show its availability by using a physical sjmulation of centipede − like multi − 1egged robo し