We present a very simple control architecture which is capable of producing robust performance in a walking robot with two or more pairs of legs, and three degrees of freedom in each leg. It has been implemented in a physical simulation in which the robot is able to stand up, walk, navigate to a landmark over uneven terrain, resist random external forces, and continue to operate despite the loss of a leg. The design is remarkable not only for its effectiveness, but also for its simplicity: it is built from PID controllers, and contains no learning, adaptation, optimisation, complex senses, or modelling of its environment.
The design is based on that described by William Powers in his 1973 book, "Behaviour: The Control of Perception" as a proposed structure for the control systems of living organisms.
The talk will be illustrated by demos of the simulated walking robot and other simulated machines with control systems designed on the same principles.
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