DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals June 5-6

[Wendy Holladay]

Watch

http://www.theroboticschallenge.org/

[SenorZ]

We'll be there demoing on Saturday!

[Wendy Holladay]

what a great demo opportunity!!

[VioletElizabeth]

They interviewed someone about FIRST--she was very articulate.

[asid61]

This is super cool. Are they required to use human-like robots, or is that just the easiest way to do things?

[GKrotkov]

Originally Posted by asid61

This is super cool. Are they required to use human-like robots, or is that just the easiest way to do things?

It's just the answer that most of them came up with. It may help that the robot provided for teams that do not wish to build their own, ATLAS, is humanoid.

Also, one of the requirements is the "Ability to manipulate and use a diverse assortment of tools designed for humans"


What's interesting is that this challenge might illustrate how close this technology is, even though it looks halting and slow now. The DARPA urban challenge was in 2007 (footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQFEmR50HAk), on known ground and with only other robots on the road; but now Uber is buying all the autonomy experts around and Google is thinking about going to market with an autonomous car! Perhaps robotic autonomy and dealing with variable situations isn't quite so far away as we might think.

[RomeroFRC5012]

A few members from 5012 will be their on their own! Sounds Fun!

[AlexanderTheOK]

Originally Posted by GKrotkov

Also, one of the requirements is the "Ability to manipulate and use a diverse assortment of tools designed for humans"

I'm still a bit perplexed as to why so many teams decided to go bipedal. Every task here seems to be navigable with the use of an appropriately modified tracked drivetrain, and I'm sure an appropriate humanoid and dexterous arm can be mounted on said drivetrain.

I'm imagining it has more to do with funding than the solution. I'd think "look our robot is basically a person!" attracts more money than a generic looking rover. I'd really like to know from the teams however.

[mman1506]

Originally Posted by AlexanderTheOK

I'm still a bit perplexed as to why so many teams decided to go bipedal. Every task here seems to be navigable with the use of an appropriately modified tracked drivetrain, and I'm sure an appropriate humanoid and dexterous arm can be mounted on said drivetrain.

I'm imagining it has more to do with funding than the solution. I'd think "look our robot is basically a person!" attracts more money than a generic looking rover. I'd really like to know from the teams however.

I'm not really up to date with things but there usually are a few robots that can switch between tracked and bipedal.

[TheHolyHades1]

The robot who is currently in the lead (per day 1 standings, anyway), CHIMP from Tartan Rescue (CMU), can switch between bipedal and quadruped. Each of the "feet" are tracks, which helps mostly eliminate the need to solve a balancing problem.

[BenGuy]

Originally Posted by AlexanderTheOK

I'm still a bit perplexed as to why so many teams decided to go bipedal. Every task here seems to be navigable with the use of an appropriately modified tracked drivetrain, and I'm sure an appropriate humanoid and dexterous arm can be mounted on said drivetrain.

I'm imagining it has more to do with funding than the solution. I'd think "look our robot is basically a person!" attracts more money than a generic looking rover. I'd really like to know from the teams however.

Tracked and bipedal is the best solution (in my opinion anyways .) There are a few a challenges (like climbing stairs) that require legs, but, tracks are better for generally traveling through other challenges, like traversing the runway.

[AlexanderTheOK]

Originally Posted by BenGuy

Tracked and bipedal is the best solution (in my opinion anyways .) There are a few a challenges (like climbing stairs) that require legs, but, tracks are better for generally traveling through other challenges, like traversing the runway.

if you google search "Stair Climbing robot" and go into "videos" literally NONE of the videos on the first page are bipedal. They all use drive systems that are effective both on flat ground and wonky stairs/debris.

Tracked + biped sorta makes sense. It's a good way to keep your robot bipedal while keeping the benefits of being able to just roll around.

[BenGuy]

Originally Posted by AlexanderTheOK

if you google search "Stair Climbing robot" and go into "videos" literally NONE of the videos on the first page are bipedal. They all use drive systems that are effective both on flat ground and wonky stairs/debris.

Tracked + biped sorta makes sense. It's a good way to keep your robot bipedal while keeping the benefits of being able to just roll around.

If you google that, the results are all of very small robots that can do nothing but climb stairs, and their systems are specifically for climbing stairs.

The team in first right now has a tracked + bipedal system btw...

[AlexanderTheOK]

Originally Posted by BenGuy

If you google that, the results are all of very small robots that can do nothing but climb stairs, and their systems are specifically for climbing stairs.

Correction. They are all proofs of concepts of drivebases that can climb stairs. All of these can be enlarged and can have 6DOF arms mounted to them.

Originally Posted by BenGuy

The team in first right now has a tracked + bipedal system btw...

Yes. I am well aware of that, and in fact, acknowledged in my post that it was a very good design decision considering that there are likely other constraints that forced teams to make legged robots.


Edit: This doesn't look very small by the way.

[BenGuy]

Originally Posted by AlexanderTheOK

Correction. They are all proofs of concepts of drivebases that can climb stairs. All of these can be enlarged and can have 6DOF arms mounted to them.



Yes. I am well aware of that, and in fact, acknowledged in my post that it was a very good design decision considering that there are likely other constraints that forced teams to make legged robots.


Edit: This doesn't look very small by the way.

Your EXAMPLE is a robot that can't do anything but climb stairs. Try getting a robot with tracks to drive the atv, you need two legs to do that, as well as traverse the ground and getting in and out of it.