Simulation-Driven Design and Optimization of a Parametric Flat-Foot with Elastic Pads for a Planar Biped Robot

Koray Kadir Şafak, Oğuzhan Aykut Ekşioğlu

2025

Abstract

This paper presents the simulation-driven design and optimization of a compliant foot for a planar biped robot. To enhance walking stability and reduce joint torques, 3D-printed elastic pads were fabricated and experimentally characterized through compression testing. These prototypes provided baseline stiffness and damping ranges that served as inputs to the simulation model. Using these data as a starting point, a genetic algorithm optimized pad parameters to minimize joint torque overloads while maintaining gait stability. Walking simulations were performed in MATLAB Simulink on flat terrain, comparing a rigid flat-foot with the optimized compliant foot with pads. Results demonstrated up to 46% reduction in peak hip torques and 35% reduction in knee torques, along with smoother contact forces and stable zero moment point (ZMP) trajectories. The study confirms that introducing passive compliance at the foot level improves bipedal locomotion efficiency without additional actuation.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Şafak K. and Ekşioğlu O. (2025). Simulation-Driven Design and Optimization of a Parametric Flat-Foot with Elastic Pads for a Planar Biped Robot. In Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics - Volume 2: ICINCO; ISBN 978-989-758-770-2, SciTePress, pages 357-362. DOI: 10.5220/0013780000003982

in Bibtex Style

@conference{icinco25,
author={Koray Şafak and Oğuzhan Ekşioğlu},
title={Simulation-Driven Design and Optimization of a Parametric Flat-Foot with Elastic Pads for a Planar Biped Robot},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics - Volume 2: ICINCO},
year={2025},
pages={357-362},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0013780000003982},
isbn={978-989-758-770-2},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics - Volume 2: ICINCO
TI - Simulation-Driven Design and Optimization of a Parametric Flat-Foot with Elastic Pads for a Planar Biped Robot
SN - 978-989-758-770-2
AU - Şafak K.
AU - Ekşioğlu O.
PY - 2025
SP - 357
EP - 362
DO - 10.5220/0013780000003982
PB - SciTePress