The official DARPA YouTube channel has made it official, to the surprise of nobody, that it's going to be a derivative of Boston Dynamics' PETMAN humanoid robot will be the platform used for the DARPA Robotics Grand Challenge.
A modified platform resembling these robots is expected to be used as government-funded equipment (GFE) for performers in Tracks B and C of the DARPA Robotics Challenge. The GFE Platform is expected to have two arms, two legs, a torso and a head, and will be physically capable of performing all of the tasks required for the disaster response scenarios scheduled in the Challenge.
Despite the appearance of the robots in the video, the Challenge is decidedly not exclusive to humanoid robot solutions. Any designs are welcome provided they are compatible with shared human-robot environments, compatible with human tools, and compatible with human operators so that a human without expertise in robotics can give commands and confidently anticipate the response.
Despite the appearance of the robots in the video, the Challenge is decidedly not exclusive to humanoid robot solutions. Any designs are welcome provided they are compatible with shared human-robot environments, compatible with human tools, and compatible with human operators so that a human without expertise in robotics can give commands and confidently anticipate the response.
It is DARPA's position that achieving true innovation in robotics, and thus success in the Robotics Challenge, will require contributions from communities beyond traditional robotics developers. Hardware, software, modeling and gaming developers are sought to link with emergency response and various science communities to devise novel solutions that enable robots to respond to disasters according to the tasks laid out in DARPA's announcement for the Challenge (here is the full PDF of the Challenge).
The robots in the video below are probably not final models for the DARPA robot in the case of the platforms shown in the above below. We know that in its final form, "is expected to have two arms, two legs, a torso and a head, and will be physically capable of performing all of the tasks required for the disaster response scenarios scheduled in the Challenge."
These tasks include driving cars, walking across rubble, moving heavy objects, opening and closing doors and valves, using tools, and climbing ladders. Based solely on the video above, it looks like Boston Dynamics is making good progress but still has a lot of work to do.
The robots in the video below are probably not final models for the DARPA robot in the case of the platforms shown in the above below. We know that in its final form, "is expected to have two arms, two legs, a torso and a head, and will be physically capable of performing all of the tasks required for the disaster response scenarios scheduled in the Challenge."
One of the primary differences between the final platform and the existing platform is going to be the addition of a head, which will likely contain the sensors allowing for the hybrid autonomous and teleoperated control that DARPA seems to have in mind for the Challenge (stereo cameras, LIDAR and possibly Kinect-like sensors).
We should expect to see is a 150 kg humanoid with a pair of two or three fingered hands, and we have no idea whether Boston Dynamics will be doing those in-house or not, especially considering how many excellent grippers are already available especially DARPA's existing robot hand project.
We should expect to see is a 150 kg humanoid with a pair of two or three fingered hands, and we have no idea whether Boston Dynamics will be doing those in-house or not, especially considering how many excellent grippers are already available especially DARPA's existing robot hand project.
Boston Dynamics is very well known for developing (you guessed it) dynamic robots: machines that, rather than using static techniques to control their motion, move dynamically, relying on advanced control software and high performance hydraulic actuators. PETMAN is no exception. The trade-off is that hydraulics generally demands a fairly beastly engine. You'll notice that the robots in the video are both tethered to off-board hydraulic power, but luckily, DARPA doesn't seem to have a problem with this. From IEEE Spectrum's interview with DARPA program manager Dr. Gill Pratt:
"We’re not going to disallow tethers in order to power the robot, but the tether will not be able to go all the way back to the operator. So what the utility vehicle can help with is, you can put the power supply for the robot on the flatbed of the vehicle and then the tether can go to the robot, and the vehicle is now a movable base that the robot can operate a certain distance from."
Already the Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) humanoid robot is going to look like come October of this year, but there are also two other things to consider: for one, there's nothing that says teams have to use the GFE, and two, there's nothing that says teams have to use a humanoid platform at all, and indeed, DARPA has been very specific that the Challenge is "decidedly not exclusive to humanoid systems."
There are lots of reasons why humanoids are a good idea, but that in no way means that humanoids are necessarily the best idea. Of course, completing tasks involving equipment that's been purpose-built for humans (like climbing a ladder) would be quite difficult for non-human robots.
There are some possible candidates, including SAFFiR (funded by the U.S. Navy) as well as Meka and UT Austin's hyper agile biped. Neither of these robots are nearly as far along as the Boston Dynamics version presumably will be, but on the other hand, SAFFiR's design brief is to be able to do almost all of the functions mentioned in DARPA's Challenge, including fighting fires in ships.
The Grand Challenge will last 15 months from October 1, 2012 to December 31, 2013, at which point there will be a competition. A second phase will happen from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014, ending with another competition where teams will try to improve their performances. Stay tuned!
IEEE Spectrum
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