A Comprehensive Review of the Dynamics and Control of Bipedal Robots: Problems, Challenges and Future Directions

Abstract

Bipedal robots have gained a lot of attention in robotics because of their versatility in numerous application areas such as in rescue missions, military tasks, therapy, personal assistance and care for the aged. Their ability to move in tough and mixed-up spaces provides essential advantages over wheeled robots. However, they present challenges, such as complicated movement, balancing and control issues, and energy management problems. This paper utilized PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) to examine peer-reviewed publications in bipedal robots, covering both their modeling dynamics and strategic control, application areas and the challenges in development and management. After reviewing 165 of 15,214 publications that satisfied the inclusion criteria, the assessments were developed around the history of bipedal robots, marking important developments like dynamic control, passive-dynamic walking, and using sensors in real-time. Developments in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and reinforcement learning have made bipedal robots more stable, adaptable, and efficient. The novelty of this review lies in integrating rigid-body and reduced-order dynamic models, classical and learning-based control strategies, hardware limitations, and future research priorities within a unified comparative framework for bipedal robotics.