A Low-Cost Split-Belt Treadmill for Studying Robotic Inter-limb Coordination
摘要
Split-belt treadmills are widely used in neuroscience to study inter-limb coordination, especially in spinalized animals. Similar robotic experiments can be used to help us understand animal neuromechanics and develop biologically grounded locomotion control. However, commercial treadmills are often large, expensive, or lack features for benchtop robotic testing. We present the design and validation of a compact, low-cost split-belt treadmill for small quadrupedal robots. It features two independently controlled, bidirectional belts and integrated load cells for measuring ground reaction forces. This platform supports future studies of adaptive gait and neuromechanical coordination in robotic systems.