Adding segmented feet to passive dynamic walkers

This paper presents a passive dynamic walking model with segmented feet. The model extends the Simplest Walking Model with the addition of flat feet and torsional springs based compliance on ankle joints and toe joints, to achieve stable walking on a slope driven by gravity. The pushoff phase includes foot rotations around toe joint and around toe tip, which shows a great resemblance to human normal walking. The segmented foot model is compared with single rigid foot model in simulations to study the advantages of adding toe joints to passive dynamic walkers. We investigate the effects of segmented foot structure on dynamic bipedal walking. Experimental results show that the model achieves efficient and stable walking on even or uneven slope.