A bio-inspired architecture of the vestibular system for body balance of a humanoid robot

This paper describes the design and implementation of the model of a synthetic vestibular system. The vestibular system in humans, along with other sensory and motor systems, is responsible for three cognitive functions that support mobility. First, it helps humans to maintain the balance of the body. Second, it allows humans to stabilize the head. Finally, when the body or head is in motion it helps humans to maintain the visual gaze on a target. To perform these tasks, the vestibular system uses a sensor array that is located in the inner ear. The model is based on neurophysiological evidence. For that reason, it is necessary to model all the components involved in the balance. The model includes a component for each sensors, cortical nervous structure and intracortical nervous structures. It also defines and generates the motor output signals. The proposed model was connected to a Bioloid^TMPremium humanoid robot to simulate the motor output and the proprioceptive inputs. The robot provided inconclusive results because its controller was not able to move every joint in parallel. Although the results were not the desired, the sensor communication and the architecture processing satisfied our expectations.