Work

Motion Strategy Generation Based on Multimodal Motion Primitives and Reinforcement Learning Imitation for Quadruped Robots

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: With the advancement of task-oriented reinforcement learning (RL), the capability of quadruped robots for motion generation and complex task completion has significantly improved. However, current control strategies require extensive domain expertise and time-consuming design processes to acquire operational skills and achieve multi-task motion control, often failing to effectively manage complex behaviors composed of multiple coordinated actions. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a motion policy generation method for quadruped robots based on multimodal motion primitives and imitation learning. A multimodal motion library was constructed using 3D engine motion design, motion capture data retargeting, and trajectory planning. A temporal domain-based behavior planner was designed to combine these primitives and generate complex behaviors. We developed a RL-based imitation learning training framework to achieve precise trajectory tracking and rapid policy deployment, ensuring the effective application of actions/behaviors on the quadruped platform. Simulation and physical experiments conducted on the Lite3 quadruped robot validated the efficacy of the proposed approach, offering a new paradigm for the deployment and development of motion strategies for quadruped robots.

Source: Biomimetics

DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics11020115

Authors: Qin Zhang, Guanglei Li, Benhang Liu, Chenxi Li, Chuanle Zhu, Hui Chai

Institutions: University of Jinan, Shandong University

Language: English

Topic: Robotic Locomotion and Control

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,654

Funders: Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, National Key Research and Development Program of China