ATLAS Is Now Unplugged

 DARPA Robotics Challenge  

DARPA has revealed upgrades to the ATLAS robot. The robot was redesigned for DARPA by Boston Dynamics, with the goal of improving power efficiency to better support untethered battery operation. The upgraded robot will be used by up to seven teams competing in the DARPA Robotics Challenge.

When we were first introduced to ATLAS, the humanoid robot developed for the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC), it was obvious that a next generation would be needed to untether the bot, and reduce the noise of the hydraulic pumps it used so that people could use the robot more freely. As a platform for intervention in disaster situations, like the earthquake in Fukishima, the robot needed to be more agile and testable in real-world scenarios.

Those changes are now mainly done, as is a total of 75% of ATLAS Unplugged, the latest version of the Boston Dynamics-built robot. Really only the lower legs and feet remain from the original design.

"Basically we have cut the cord.  We have to no longer rely on a safety line on the top."

"ATLAS Unplugged is the upgrade to ATLAS to allow it to run entirely on batteries, and to have it use a wireless communication path and for it not require a safety tether to hold itself up," said Gill Pratt, DRC Program Manager. "Basically we have cut the cord.  We have to no longer rely on a safety line on the top."

According to DARPA, the most significant changes are to the robot’s power supply and pump. ATLAS will now pack an onboard 3.7-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, with the potential for one hour of “mixed mission” operation that includes walking, standing, use of tools, and other movements. This will drive a new quiet variable-pressure pump that allows for more efficient operation.

“The introduction of a battery and variable-pressure pump into Atlas poses a strategic challenge for teams,” said Pratt,  DRC Program Manager in a press release. “The operator will be able to run the robot on a mid-pressure setting for most operations to save power, and then apply bursts of maximum pressure when additional force is needed. The teams are going to have to game out the right balance of force and battery life to complete the course.”

The robot is also now constructed out of lighter materials.  The inclusion of a battery and a new pump system adds only a modest increase in overall weight with the upgraded robot standing 6-foot-2 (1.88 meters) and weighs 345 pounds (156.5 kg). No word yet if the new battery system will make its way into Boston Dynamics other robots.

Re-sized actuators in the hip, knee, and back now give ALTAS greater leg strength.

Related articles Dennis Hong On Robot Evolution and The DARPA Robotics Challenge  The What, Why, How, Who and When of the DARPA Robotics Challenge  Robot Revolution - Will Machines Surpass Humans?

The re-positioned shoulders and arms will allow for increased work space in front of the robot and let the robot's own cameras view the hands in motion, thus providing additional sensor feedback to the operator.

Soon new electrically actuated lower arms will increase strength and dexterity and improve force sensing.  As the video above describes, this will allow ATLAS to turn a doorknob at the wrist rather than using the shoulder actuator.

Three onboard perception computers will be used for perception and task planning, and a wireless router in the head enables untethered communication. In the event of a failure, a wireless emergency stop allows for safe operation.

Teams should have their new robots to play with by the end of January.

SOURCE  IEEE Spectrum

By 33rd Square

Embed