Robo-Cheetah & its Little Sister, the Wildcat

6 February 2014

Developed for DARPA by Boston Dynamics, the robo-cheetah’s claim to fame is its speed.  Modeled after the real-life cheetah, this robot boasts a “cat-like spine,” which “flexes and extends” with the robot’s galloping stride. And it gallops — “constantly tipping forward, falling, and regaining equilibrium with every step.”  After the development of the first prototype, in 2011, it was showcased running at speeds of up to 18 mph by March of 2012.  By September, it clocked 28.3 mph – faster than the fastest human runner in a hundred-yard dash.

Of course, with all the excitement, Robo-Cheetah still had a couple issues that needed to be ironed-out before it could go bounding across a battlefield.  It was running at high speeds, but it was only running on a treadmill.  Still, it was about ready to jump off the treadmill and onto, at least, flat ground.

It’s biggest problem was that it was still “tethered” by a power cord.  In other words, it had to be plugged into a wall socket to get the juice it needed to move.   There’s no portable power pack for this ‘bot that can store enough juice to let it run free.  Portable power supplies are a big issue in robotics and one of the biggest challenges to maximum performance.  There’s a tradeoff.  You need enough power to allow the ‘bot to operate for long stretches of time.  You, also, need a power pack that’s light-weight enough for the ‘bot to carry.  But, with a light enough pack, there’s not enough power to run the ‘bot.  And, with enough power, the pack (and ‘bot) become so heavy that, now, . . . there’s not enough power.

But, soon, there were more than these technical challenges – there were challengers.   The first competitor was MIT. The Biomimetic Robotics Lab at MIT, also under the sponsorship of DARPA, was, and is, working on its own version of the robo-cheetah.  MIT is trying to recreate the running movement of the real cheetah.  They’re more public with their work.  The MIT website shows their version of Robo-Cheetah.  Their robot can’t run as fast as the Boston Dynamics model, but MIT’s model boasts a “highly efficient leg motor, imitation tendons, and a responsive tail.”  With these improvements MIT’s Robo-Cheetah has a rhythm and movement completely different from other four-legged ‘bots.

MIT’s Robo-Cheetah, also, “will” run on a battery (but it, too, is still plugged into a wall-socket).  Unlike the other Robo-Cheetah, MIT’s uses a surprisingly simple and more effective way of regulating its leg motion – one without the usual sensors and complicated computer feedback-loops that were, and are, still a common part of robotic technology.

But what’s so important about imitating a real cheetah?  The robo-cheetah is one of a group of DARPA-funded projects of applied biorobotics.  To meet DARPA’s requirements, drones must be built to perform more like . . . wildlife.  The term “biomimetics” or “biomimicry” is used to describe the development of technology designed to imitate and replicate the activities of biological systems and organisms.   But, why imitate nature?  Well, “if you want drones that work in a particular way, and the only known example of such performance is a biological organism, you’ll either have to imitate it or forget the project altogether.”

The need for walking (rather than rolling) robots is a prime example.  The jeep took “a basic automobile and raised the center of gravity, increased the size and scale of the automotive suspension system and produced spectacular off-road performance for a machine with wheels.”  But the wheel, itself, was limited.  Human beings, horses, mules, and dogs can all travel over terrain that would be impossible for any wheeled vehicle to handle.

How do you design a ‘bot that travels over rough terrain like a mule?  Well, you design it . . . like a mule.  And Boston Dynamics “Robo-Mule” (later, renamed “BigDog”) was the first in a new line of bio-inspired “walking” robots.  But, again, why a cheetah?  Is it just a cool sounding name, or the sleek look of the moving animal? No. There’s something special about cheetahs that DARPA wants to capture in robotic performance.

Robo-cheetah is being designed to move, quite specifically, like a cheetah.  Unlike Robo-Mule (“BigDog”), Robo-Cheetah is meant to be ultra-speedy and agile, able to “chase and evade” like the actual animal.  Designers are working on getting it to run at Cheetah speed, but their ultimate ambition goes much farther than that.  They hope to design a ‘bot that can run faster than any animal on earth — as fast as 70 mph.

Robo-Cheetah will have clear military applications, including emergency and disaster response.  But DARPA has hinted at performance that might improve on nature.  At least, humans might be able to do things with Robo-Cheetah you’d never try with the real thing – including uses in “advanced agriculture and vehicular travel.”  Just think.  Riding a Robo-Cheetah!

Of course, the pressure rose with two Robo-Cheetahs in development: The speedy one by Boston Dynamics and the graceful one by MIT.  But, the race got even tighter when another competitor came out of left field — the Robo-Ostrich.  Ostrich?  What’s an ostrich got to offer in this race?  It’s a bird, and it can’t even fly.  Well, fly it can’t, but maybe it doesn’t need to because the ostrich is the fastest land animal on earth.

DARPA has funded the joint effort of MIT and the Florida Institute of Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) in a project to develop a robot that walks and runs.  But the end result of this latest effort will be the first robotic biped in the DARPA arsenal.

Robo-Ostrich is designed not just to walk, but to run and run fast.  Although the first full prototype has yet to be designed, the working computer simulation has legs and is hitting speeds of 27 mph.  Impressive, again, because this is about the speed of the fastest human runner in a hundred yard dash.

Robo-Ostrich’s designers are only hoping for a maximum speed of 50 miles an hour – faster than the fastest ostrich clocked at 43 mph.  On the other hand, this is a bit slower than the 70 mph Boston Dynamics is hoping for Robo-Cheetah.   But there’s a whole ‘lot of hoping going on here.  Robo-Cheetah isn’t off the treadmill and Robo-Ostrich is a computer simulation.  Let’s just wait and see.

What’s the secret of Robo-Ostrich’s speed?  Two legs.  What’s so special about a two-legged robot?  Not only is a two-legged robot lighter than a robot with twice the legs, but its movements are more flexible allowing it to, among other things, “get through narrower spaces” and maneuver more easily around obstacles.  With such a flexible build, this robot, like other “be-footed” robots, is designed to negotiate rough terrain that would defy a wheeled-vehicle like a jeep.  Even on the most irregular surfaces, the finished ‘bot is expected to run (or walk) at a speed of 10 mph, more than twice as fast as a walking human being.

Well, with MIT pushing hard to the goal with both their robots, Robo-Cheetah and Robo-Ostrich, Boston Dynamics had to do something.  They announced their plan to take the lead in the race, by unleashing Robo-Cheetah from its treadmill.  They promised their Robo-Cheetah, unteathered, would hit the road in 2013.   And it did, but with a twist.

In 2013, the cordless “Wildcat” was shown galloping and running backward on flat terrain.  But, wait, what happened to Robo-Cheetah?  Why the little sister?

To speed up the development, Robo-Cheetah was . . . modified.  To get rid of its power cord and, then, off the treadmill and onto the ground, it had to lose some of its bulk and weight.   It also lost its electric motor and gained an internal combustion (gasoline powered) engine.   Even with the reductions in size and weight, it lost some of its treadmill speed — slowing from 28 to about 16 mph.

Now, it’s slower than the fastest human in a hundred yard dash. But, if its chasing you, you’d better get to safety in a hundred yards. Why?  Because the Wildcat will still be going strong and fast long after you’ve given out and fallen to the ground.

The Wildcat still only performs on flat terrain, but the plan is to, soon, have it walking on the same rough ground that its distant cousin the Robo-Mule/BigDog handles with ease.

About the Author

 

'BOT: “Alpha Dog” – “Big Dog” Goes to the Next Level

15 May 2014

 Alpha Dog Out For A Stroll

  

            As short a time as 15 years ago, it seemed almost impossible to imagine a walking robot.  At least, a robot that wasn’t an entertainment device.  Sure, you could design a device that went through all the motions of walking.  But it would walk on an ideally flat surface with no external physical interference or interaction of any kind.  Most walking robots were not so different from those animatronic devices displayed in Disneyland shows.

            As long as the environment was carefully adjusted to the limitations of a walking robot, everything would be fine.  But that’s not what DARPA wanted.  The DARPA program required a robot that could . . . really walk.  This robot’s purpose was to accompany soldiers, potentially in combat situations, as they walked through rough terrain.  Just as humans and animals adjust their walking to the terrain, so would the robot envisioned by the DARPA project. 

            In other words, DARPA wanted a robot that could, and would, walk in every sense of the word.  

 Big Dog At The Beach

            The initial project, undertaken by Boston Dynamics, resulted in the unveiling of quadruped (four-legged) “Big Dog” in 2005.  It’s funny, but there’s something almost creepy looking about Big Dog in every still shot.  But when you see it move, the creepiness disappears as the viewer clearly recognizes something “familiar” and “natural” in walking motion of the robot.   Just watching Big Dog in motion wordlessly defines the term “biomimickry” – a technology copied from (imitating) nature. 

            LS3 is the “Legged Squad Support System.”  And Big Dog was just the beginning. 

            What complex problem was this new “legged” technology designed to solve?  The Army identified “physical overburden” as major problem in warfare.  The modern soldier carries a substantial load of gear -- weighing as much as 100 pounds.  Both soldiers’ performance and readiness are impaired by the physical weight of their gear.  

Mule -- The Minimal Solution

            Well, “in the old days,” this problem was solved with a mule.   Accompanying soldiers, in the field, was a load bearing animal, a mule, which carried a lot of heavy gear leaving the soldiers less fatigued and more responsive to expected and unexpected challenges.

            In 2012, Boston Dynamic unveiled the LS3 -- “Alpha Dog” – Big Dog taken to the next level. 

   Alpha Dog

            Alpha Dog can carry a bigger load – increased from 340 to 400 pounds.   This new version is quieter making considerably less sound than the “swarm of bees sound” made by its predecessor.   While Big Dog was vulnerable to “cow tippers,” Alpha Dog and can “right” itself if tipped over. 

            Alpha Dog is also faster than its predecessor.  The robot manages a 1 to 3 mph walk over rough terrain and a 5 mph jog over relatively level surfaces.  On a flat surface, such as a roadway, Alpha Dog can reach a speed of 7 mph. 

            Put in practical terms, the goal is to develop a robot that can travel with a squad of soldiers as they complete their mission – without hindering that mission in any way.  In order to do this, Alpha Dog will have to be able to follow the squad, but with a degree of independence or autonomy. 

            While Alpha Dog will respond to voice commands, the commander cannot command Alpha Dog in its every action without the robot becoming more of a burden and less of a help to its handler.  So, Alpha Dog’s design is must incorporate certain “autonomy settings.”   These settings will include: (1) “leader-follower tight,” (2) “leader-follower corridor,” and (3) “go-to-waypoint.”

            (1) Leader-follower tight: Requires the Alpha Dog to follow the leader’s path as closely as possible. 

            (2) Leader-follower corridor: Requires Alpha Dog to “follow” the leader, but with the “freedom to make local path decisions.”  So, the leader will not have to worry or account for Alpha Dog’s mobility capabilities.  The robot can vary its path slightly to avoid obstacles or obstructions without any special intervention from the leader.

            (3)  Go-to-waypoint: Requires Alpha Dog to proceed to a particular set of GPS coordinates without a leader – avoiding obstacles on its own.

            A reasonable question: How can it do these things unless it can see?

            Well, for its own purposes, it can see.

            Alpha Dog has a “stereo” vision system.  First, it has a pair of cameras mounted into its “head.”  Second, each camera focuses on the same object or location from a slightly different angle – like human vision.  The angle to which each camera must adjust to focus on a distant object or location, discloses the depth, or distance, of that object or point.  

            But Alpha Dog also has a LIDAR detecting and ranging system.  LIDAR is just a combination of the words “light” and “radar,” but is often assumed to be an acronym for “LIght Detection And Ranging.” (A useful factoid when you are trying to locate resources about this technology.)  Not only does the LIDAR system help Alpha Dog follow a human lead, but also records intelligence data directly from its environment.

            This type of sophisticated, simulated vision is necessary to allow Alpha Dog to meet another basic DARPA project requirement.  Without the “perception” capability to detect and judge both distance and grade, this robot wouldn’t be able to “walk” up and down hills.

            In terms of communication, Alpha Dog can’t give orders, but will be able to take orders.  Voice recognition technologies allow squad members to use direct spoken commands to which this robot responds.

            It seems almost anticlimactic to add that Alpha Dog will be equipped with technologies to recharge batteries.  (It’s almost like saying the ‘bot can, also, open soup cans.)  But a mobile auxiliary power source is important to a squad in the field.  We are talking about batteries that power radios and other handheld technologies used by squad members on patrol.

            There will be “more.”  DARPA’s final goals for the perfected ‘bot will include a much larger load-carrying capacity.  The current 400 pound maximum will need to increase to 1,000 pounds – the weight of the gear required by a nine-man infantry squad on a 3 day mission.  Although Alpha Dog’s walking speed is about to par, its range will have to increase to allow the ‘bot to walk at about two-and-a-half mph for 8 hours.  Also, the ‘bot must be able to “burst” into 220 yard sprints at a speed of about 24 mph.  

About the Author
 

AD V http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40gECrmuCaU

AD V TAKE ORDERS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNUeSUXOc-w

AlphaDog, U.S. Marines Robot Pack Animal - Legged Squad Support

Won’t tip --- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr-wBpYpSfE

BD V OVERVIEW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNZPRsrwumQ

BC  V EVOLUTION http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqMVg5ixhd0

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'BOTS: Big Dog – Terrestrial Support Robotics

15 May 2014

Recently unmanned underwater drone technology seems have taken center stage among DARPA Programs. For a while, proposals seemed to focus on UAV’s, unmanned aerial vehicles, but now include new, ambitious, underwater projects like the Hydra and UFP, which have recently appeared on the horizon. 

On the other hand, Lockheed’s SSMS may be one of the first in new wave of terrestrial unmanned logistical and support vehicles. The SSMS, Squad Mission Support System, vehicle sports the familiar wheels of most terrestrial vehicles. But wheeled vehicles are of limited utility in many contexts. I can’t help wondering when a new class of large terrestrial unmanned vehicles, with legs, will become the order of the day or, in terms of development proposals, the order to tomorrow.

Army, Lockheed to test drones-only mission, by air and land

If the goal is high speed, accessibility, and maneuverability, terrestrial robots such as FastRunner (robo-ostrich) are prototypes intended to exploit to the maximum many of the advantages of bipedal locomotion.

On the other hand, (or maybe on many other feet), there is a new generation of many-legged robots, most notably a group of hexapodal robots. Most of these six-legged robots are designed more for the purposes of entertainment or amusement than military application. But the multi-legged robot has distinct advantages over a two-legged or even four legged counterpart in terms of stability in motion over extremely difficult terrain.

Looking back, from a mechanical standpoint, the business of walking was so complex that it seemed almost impossible to imagine a practical robot design incorporating motion – on foot – as short a time as 15 years ago. But that changed with Big Dog.

In 2002, Boston Dynamics [2] began work on a four-legged robot for military use. Funded by the DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the first prototype of this robotic quadruped was unveiled in 2005. What had first been called, "Robo-Mule," but now renamed "Big Dog," had been developed by Boston Dynamics with Foster-Miller (a division of Qinetiq North America), Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Harvard University Concord Field Station.

Big Dog is about three feet long, two and a half feet high with a weight of 240 pounds. In terms of size, it is roughly comparable to its inspiring model, the mule. The DARPA program required a robotic pack animal, like the army mule, to travel "on foot" with soldiers through terrain too rough for wheeled vehicles.

The latest prototype is capable of walking through terrain rough enough to stop a jeep. Big Dog can run at about 4 mph with a 340 pound load and can climb a 35 degree grade. This robot carries a computer that receives feedback from the robot's sensors and controls its direction, movement, and balance.

Powered by an “impressive” two-stroke, one-cylinder, 15-HP go-kart engine, Big Dog had a few bugs. It could be tipped like a cow. But unlike a cow, it couldn’t get back up. Also, it was anything but silent -- making a sound often compared to a swarm of bees. But since the 2005 unveiling, there has been a lot of work and refinements as well as the addition of a robotic arm that not only can pick things up, but throw them as well. With the first unveiling,Big Dog's capabilties may have seemed modest, but this was the beginning of a new generation of walking robots inspired by biological organisms: What's called biomimickry.

In the 1950’s, the sci-fi vision of robotic technology was both exotic and strange. The technology of the future was envisioned and presented as something completely different and contrary to our natural biological surroundings. However, when technology confronted reality, we biological organisms seem to have had the last laugh because we could (and still can) do a whole lot of extremely useful things that our most sophisticated robotic technology cannot.

The jeep took a basic automobile and raised the center of gravity, increased the size and scale of the automotive suspension system and produced spectacular off-road performance -- for a machine with wheels. But the wheel, itself, was limiting. Every Rover we’ve landed on Mars ended its life when it got stuck. 

Human beings aren’t the strongest animal in the forest, but if just two of us were on Mars with those Rovers, we’d have extended their useful lives by getting them “un-stuck” in short order. Why? Because we have a repertoire of movements and leverage that we can use to apply force in almost any direction. The best of those early sci-fi ’bots looked high-tech but, in fact, were functionally stunted.

When sci-fi was still dominated by those inhuman and unnatural versions of mechanistic technology, a new methodology of approach to technological design was, quietly, born. “Biomimetics” was a term used to describe the development of technology designed to imitate and replicate the activities of biological systems and organisms. Then, the term “bionic” was coined to describe a technology incorporating a “function copied from nature.” When Hollywood got a hold of the term “bionic,” the “Six Million Dollar Man” hit the small screen. Maybe Hollywood’s version of the term “bionic” was just too interesting to be seriously “scientific,” and the term “bionic” fell into scientific oblivion.

The gap was finally filled with the introduction of the term “biomimicry,” which has been widely adopted to describe any technology imitating (copied from) nature. But, in some contexts, biomimicry is more of a necessity than a choice. If you want robots or drone vehicles that work in a particular way, and the only known example of such performance is a biological organism, you’ll either have to imitate the organism or forget the project altogether.

I am still amazed and entertained by the videos of Big Dog’s performance. The movements are, in some ways, so“life-like” – so reminiscent of the movements of an animal.

Recently unmanned underwater drone technology seems to taking center stage DARPA Programs.  For a while, proposals seemed to focus on UAV’s, unmanned aerial vehicles, but now include new, ambitious, underwater projects like the Hydra and UFP have appeared on the horizon.

On the other hand, Lockheed’s SSMS may be one of the first in new wave of terrestrial unmanned logistical and support vehicles.  The SSMS, Squad Mission Support System Squad Mission Support System, vehicle sports the familiar wheels of most terrestrial vehicles.   But wheeled vehicles are of limited utility in many contexts.  I can’t help wondering when a new class of large terrestrial unmanned vehicles, with legs, will become the order of the day or, in terms of development proposals, the order to tomorrow.

Army, Lockheed to test drones-only mission, by air and land

If the goal is high speed, accessibility, and maneuverability, terrestrial robots such as FastRunner (robo-ostrich) are prototypes intended to exploit to the maximum advantage the potential of bipedal locomotion. 

On the other hand, (or maybe on many other feet), there is a new generation of many-legged robots, most notably a group of hexapodal robots.  Most of these six-legged robots are designed more for the purposes of entertainment or amusement than military application.  But the multi-legged robot has distinct advantages over a two-legged or even four legged counterpart in terms of stability in motion over extremely difficult terrain.

Looking back, from a mechanical standpoint, the business of walking was so complex that it seemed almost impossible to imagine a practical robot design incorporating motion – on foot – as short a time as 15 years ago.  But that changed with Big Dog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNZPRsrwumQ

In 2002, Boston Dynamics [2] began work on a four-legged robot for military use.  Funded by the DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the first prototype of this robotic quadruped was unveiled in 2005.  The four-legged Robo-Mule had been developed by Boston Dynamics with Foster-Miller (a division of Qinetiq North America), Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Harvard University Concord Field Station. 

Big Dog is about three feet long, two and a half feet high with a weight of 240 pounds.  In terms of size, it is roughly comparable to its inspiring model, the mule.  The DARPA program was required a robotic pack animal, like the army mule, to move with soldiers through terrain too rough for wheeled vehicles.

 The latest prototype is capable of walking through terrain rough enough to stop a jeep and can run at about 4 mph with a 340 pound load and can climb a 35 degree grade. Big Dog carries a computer that receives feedback from the robot's sensors and controls its direction, movement, and balance.

Powered by an “impressive” two-stroke, one-cylinder, 15-HP go-kart engine, Big Dog had a few bugs.  It could be tipped like a cow.  But unlike a cow, it couldn’t get back up.  Also, it was anything but silent -- making a sound described as swarm of bees. 

But since the 2005 unveiling, there has been a lot of work and refinements as well as the addition of a robotic arm that not only can pick things up, but throw them as well. 

While robo-mules first unveiling may seem modest, this was the beginning of new generation of walking robots inspired by biological organisms – biomimickry.

In the 1950’s, the sci-fi vision of robotic technology was both exotic and strange.  The technology of the future was envisioned and presented as something completely different and contrary to our natural biological surroundings.  However, when technology confronted reality, we biological organisms seem to have had the last laugh because we could (and still can) do a whole lot of extremely useful things that our most sophisticated robotic technology cannot.

The jeep took a basic automobile and raised the center of gravity, increased the size and scale of the automotive suspension system and produced spectacular off-road performance for a machine with wheels.  But the wheel, itself, was limited.  Every Rover we’ve sent to Mars ended its life when it got stuck.  Human beings aren’t the strongest animal in the forest, but if just two of us were with those Rovers on Mars, we’d have extended their useful lives by getting them “un-stuck” in short order.  Why?  Because we have a repertoire of movements and leverage that we can use to apply force in almost any direction.  The best of those early sci-fi ’bots looked high-tech but, in fact, were functionally stunted.

When sci-fi was still dominated by those inhuman and unnatural versions of mechanistic technology, a new methodology of approach to technological design was, quietly, born.  “Biomimetics” was a term used to describe the development of technology designed to imitate and replicate the activities of biological systems and organisms.  Then, the term “bionic” was coined to describe a technology incorporating a “function copied from nature.”  When Hollywood got a hold of the term “bionic,” the “Six Million Dollar Man” hit the small screen.  But Hollywood’s version of the term “bionic” was just too interesting to be seriously “scientific,” and the term “bionic” fell into scientific oblivion.

The gap was finally filled with the introduction of the term “biomimicry,” which has been widely adopted to describe any technology imitating (copied) from nature.  But, in some contexts, biomimicry is more of a necessity than a choice.  If you want robots or drone vehicles that work in a particular way, and the only known example of such performance is a biological organism, you’ll either have to imitate organism or forget the project altogether.

I am still amazed and entertained by the videos of Big Dog’s performance.  The movements are, in some ways, so “life-like” – so reminiscent of the movements of an animal.

About the Author

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'BOTS: “Legged” Robots – Little Dog Does It First

5 June 2014

LittleDog

            In 2005, Boston Dynamics unveiled BigDog (also search “Big Dog”) a four- legged (quadrupedal) robot.  The project, funded by DARPA, was intended to develop the robotic equivalent of a pack mule to work directly with soldiers in the field.  As a “legged” robot, BigDog was expected to go where wheeled vehicles couldn’t.  Then came “Alpha Dog,” the LS3, an advanced version of BigDog.

            Boston Dynamics has continued with the on-going development of a faster quadruped, Robo-Cheetah.  Even as Robo-Cheetah took the speed record for “legged” ‘bots, topping 28 mph on an in-lab treadmill, developers remain optimistic that this ‘bot will, someday, reach even higher speeds. 

            While Robo-Cheetah remains tethered to the treadmill, last October, a slightly smaller and slower spin-off, the Wildcat, jumped off the treadmill.   The Wildcat left its “power cord” behind running at speeds just over 15 mph.

            But that’s not all.  A bipedal robo-ostrich, “FastRunner,” has been modeled (computer simulated prototype) as, yet another, more advanced battle ‘bot. FastRunner’s two legs will allow it to gain more speed and move with more agility than any four-legged robot ever could.

            But let’s take a few steps back.  There’s a smaller less celebrated robot that has had a significant place in the process of development of all this robotic technology.  I can’t call this an “unsung” robot, but it’s certainly “less-sung” than the full sized robots we’ve been talking about.  To many, this small robot seems almost like a detail on the R & D trail to the ever-growing family of ever more amazing legged robotic achievements. 

            LittleDog was developed by Boston Dynamics with DARPA funding.  Unlike other robotic prototypes, Little Dog was never intended as a stand-alone “field” robot.  LittleDog was, and is, a “testbed.”

            A testbed is a sort of a standard “model” of a device of a certain type -- such as an automobile, airplane, computer, or computer operating system.  This model is used to test new components.  So, let’s say an automobile manufacturer develops the prototype of an innovative new automobile engine or chassis.  The manufacturer’s research division will maintain a sort of “standard” or “model” vehicle into which the newly developed component and be installed and tested. 

            So, LittleDog, “The Legged Locomotion Learning Robot,” is not, and never will be, a robot for use in the field.  Instead, it is a model used to test components being developed for other projects.  And there is more perfected technology stuffed into this small ‘bot than you would ever suspect. 

            Each of LittleDog’s four legs is powered by three electric motors.  At a length of about 12 inches, a width of about 7 inches, and a height of about 5 and a half inches, this small ‘bot can move over obstacles much larger than the length of its legs and body.

            Several separate teams are working at the development of LittleDog’s speed and agility of movement confident that if they can make LittleDog do it, the same capacities and abilities can be built into its bigger “field” counterparts.   LittleDog already has such a good “sense of it surroundings” that it can avoid obstacles that, sometimes, trip-up its relatively giant “field” counterparts

            Among other things, LittleDog is trying out new software, which is intended to allow this little ‘bot to read maps and navigate through the corresponding terrain.  Other teams have introduced LittleDog to new walking techniques to allow the ‘bot to negotiate obstacles the ‘bot could neither see nor predict.

            While LittleDog may not actually “run with the big dogs,” there’s nothing those bigger dogs do that LittleDog hasn’t done first.

About the Author

 

'BOTS: “Climbing the Walls” – The RiSE Robots

12 June 2014

            Just when you think you know about all of DARPA’s “legged-robots,” another one pops up.  Or, in this case, climbs up the wall beside you and “surprises” you.

RiSE V-1

            The RiSE climbing robots, though certainly platforms for the development of future technology, are themselves prototypes designed for field operations and testing.  The RiSE six-legged (“hexapodal”) robots are designed to walk on level ground, but their “claim to fame” is the ability to climb up vertical surfaces.       

            With DARPA funding, “RiSE V-1” was principally designed by Boston Dynamics with “input” from the collaborative consortium including Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, U.C. Berkeley, and Lewis & Clark University.  With six legs and two motors, the V1’s vertical climbing abilities were tested on less than smooth surfaces such as a “carpeted wall” and a tree trunk.  

 RiSE V2

            The next generation, the RiSE V2, extended the range of “climbable” surfaces.  Like its predecessor, this ‘bot could climb natural, outdoor, vertical surfaces including trees.  But, unlike its predecessor, the V2 could also climb the sides of buildings.  The “body” of the V2 was made larger to hold its power supply, i.e., battery packs.  Because the V2 had a larger foot mechanism, the body was also made longer with the insertion of “spacers” to allow more clearance for the movement of the ‘bot’s “feet.”

 

RiSE V3 Climbing Robot, 21 cm/s

            With the RiSE V3, the resulting prototype seems to have taken a byroad.  Rather than a refinement of the V2, this new version of what was a six-legged vertical climber, lost two of its legs to become a “four-legger” (quadruped).  Maybe four legs are better adapted to this ‘bot’s purpose:  Instead of a “wall-climber,’ it’s “a pole climber.” 

            Described as having a “dramatically different gait,” this newest “climber” uses its legs in a different way to, not just to be able to climb poles, but to be a “rapid” pole climber.  Climbing at a bit over 8.5 inches per second, this ‘bot moves up those poles fast.  

 RiSE V3

            But the continuing development of this ‘bot is aimed at getting it off the byroad and back onto the main drag.  There are two other objectives of the the V3’s on-going development.  This ‘bot (1) needs to be able to walk (or run) as fast on flat ground as it does when climbing poles; and (2) needs to be able to climb flat walls and other vertical surfaces as well as its “ancestor,” the V2.

            The RiSE robots take there place among the ever-increasing number of DARPA’s “bioinspired” robotic projects.  The terms “biomimetics” or “biomimicry” have been widely adopted to describe any technology imitating (copied from) nature.  But, in some contexts, biomimicry is more of a necessity than a choice. If you want robots or drone vehicles that work in a particular way, and the only known example of such performance is a biological organism, you’ll either have to imitate the organism or forget the project altogether.

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