Learning Emergent Gaits with Decentralized Phase Oscillators - ICRA 2024
Channel: Biomimetics MIT
Date: 2024-02-15

Title: Learning Emergent Gaits with Decentralized Phase Oscillators: on the role of Observations, Rewards, and Feedback

Abstract: We present a minimal phase oscillator model for learning quadrupedal locomotion. Each of the four oscillators is coupled only to itself and its corresponding leg through local feedback of the ground reaction force, which can be interpreted as an observer feedback gain. The oscillator itself is interpreted as a latent contact state-estimator. Through a systematic ablation study, we show that the combination of phase observations, simple phase-based rewards, and the local feedback dynamics induces policies that exhibit emergent gait preferences, while using a reduced set of simple rewards, and without prescribing a specific gait.

code: https://github.com/mit-biomimetics/ORCAgym
preprint: https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.08662