Upgraded Atlas Robot Developed for More Stringent DARPA Robotics Challenge Requirements
The DARPA Robotics Challenge teams using the Atlas robot met in Waltham, Mass., on January 12, 2015, to learn about upgrades to the robot.
DARPA unveiled its upgraded Atlas robot for teams participating in June’s DARPA Robotics Challenge finals.
The improved system is 75 percent new, using only the lower legs and feet from the original design. Lighter materials allow the addition of an onboard 3.7-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack for up to one hour of mixed mission operation and a new pump system for quieter and more efficient operation.
“The introduction of a battery and variable-pressure pump into Atlas poses a strategic challenge for teams,” says Gill Pratt, program manager for the DRC. “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.”
Other upgrades to Atlas include repositioned shoulders and arms so the robot can view its hands and provide sensor feedback; electronically actuated lower arms for better strength, dexterity and force sensing; an extra degree of freedom in the wrist to open doors with ease; three onboard perception computers; a wireless router in the head; resized actuators in the hip, knee and back for greater strength; and a wireless emergency stop for safety.
The addition of wireless technology and a battery will allow competitors to comply with new, tougher competition requirements.
Teams in the DRC finals must operate robots without any wires over a secure wireless network. This includes any communication tethers, power cords or fall arrestors. DARPA will also intentionally degrade communication for distance operations to replicate conditions during disaster response. The robot must be able to make progress on its own at times until communication is reestablished.
Teams will also not be allowed any physical intervention with their robot during a run. If the robot cannot recover from a fall, the run will end.
The seven teams using Atlas will receive the upgraded robots by the end of January and face a lot of difficult decisions.
“Risk mitigation is part of the game,” says Pratt. “It’s up to the teams to decide what chances they’re willing to take during training and risk falls and damage, but come the DRC finals, the cords are cut.”
New teams interested in competing for the $3.5 million prize pool have until Feb. 2 to register and submit qualification materials.
