Timed Vibration Granular Locomotion

A legged robot controller using Buehler clock gait with synchronized haptic feedback for granular substrate locomotion.

Overview

This project controls a 4-legged robot using Dynamixel XL-320 servos and DRV2605L haptic motors. The system implements a biologically-inspired gait pattern with vibration feedback during leg swing phases to aid in substrate penetration.

Hardware

• 4x Dynamixel XL-320 servos (IDs: 21, 6, 8, 1)
• 2x DRV2605L haptic motor drivers
• Arduino-compatible microcontroller

Project Structure

├── Final_Project/
│   ├── Final_Project.ino      # Main control program
│   ├── Motor_1_Control.h      # Front legs haptic control
│   └── Motor_2_Control.h      # Rear legs haptic control
├── Motor_Sanity/
│   └── Motor_Sanity.ino       # Motor testing utility
└── EE579_Final_Project.docx   # Project documentation

Features

• Buehler clock gait algorithm with configurable phase offsets
• Synchronized haptic feedback during swing phase
• Real-time power consumption monitoring
• Multiple gait modes (trot, walk, bound)

Usage

1. Upload Final_Project.ino to your Arduino
2. Connect servos and haptic motors as per pin configuration
3. Serial debug output available at 115200 baud

Pin Configuration

Component	Pin
Dynamixel	Default serial
Motor 1 (Front)	Hardware I2C
Motor 2 (Rear)	Software I2C (4, 5)
Debug Serial	Software Serial (7, 8)

Course

EE579 - USC Fall 2025