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Oversized lateral COM randomization (+/-5 cm) deliberately forces leg spread

A lesson the Coach cites as com-randomization-forces-leg-spread.
Observed onceSim-to-real

DR ranges can be behavior-shaping tools, not just robustness padding: oversize a randomization axis to force a strategy the reward struggles to express - and expect a compensating behavior to appear as the cost.

Symptom

Feet drift toward the centerline and even collide; policy has no incentive to keep a lateral support base.

Context

COM randomization ranges were chosen asymmetrically by axis: lateral +/-5 cm ("比常规大,故意的" - larger than usual, on purpose), fore-aft +/-2 cm, vertical +/-2 cm. The oversized lateral range is not robustness padding but a behavioral forcing function. Lucen logged it as directly relevant to its own roll-channel / sideways leg-kick symptom.

Change

Set COM randomization to lateral +/-5 cm, fore-aft +/-2 cm, vertical +/-2 cm, with the lateral band intentionally oversized to make narrow stances fail during training.

Outcome

Effective at separating the feet on the reference robot; side effect - the base began swaying left-right, which then required a foot-centerline distance penalty (see reward-chain-foot-height-landing-spacing).

Mechanism

Randomizing COM laterally makes narrow-stance policies fall for some draws, so PPO discovers wide stances as the only strategy robust across the band - DR used as an implicit reward. The sway side effect appears because the policy hedges against unknown COM by active lateral correction.

Applies when

  • feet too close / self-collision in a learned gait
  • roll-axis instability suspected to come from narrow stance
  • choosing COM or mass-offset DR ranges
“两脚太近甚至互撞 → 先试质心横向随机化 ±5 cm,逼迫策略把脚分开;有效但引发新问题——基座开始左右摇摆 … 横向 ±5 cm(比常规大,故意的,用来逼出分腿)/ 前后 ±2 cm / 垂直 ±2 cm”
Experience.md § 质心随机化范围 (lines 75, 84-86)

Principles that cite it