Locomotion in Challenging Environment Research Project Presentation

1. Locomotion in Challenging Environment Research Project Presentation 16-761 Introduction to Mobile Robotics Spring 2001 February 8, 2000 Yuzo Ishida SCS/GSIA Carnegie Mellon University

2. Agenda • Introduction: Mobile robot vs. Land locomotion • Systems : Robot on off-road • 1. Mars (LRV, FIDO/JPL) • 2. Volcano (Dante/CMU) • 3. Antarctic (Nomad/CMU) • Challenges : key research area • Solutions • Conclusion

3. A book • The bible of robotics in challenging environment • OFF-THE-ROAD LOCOMOTION • M.G. BEKKER 1960 - • What’s the difference? • Land locomotion vs. Mobile robot • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion

4. What is a robot ? • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion Unimate, the first industrial robot • For what ? • Automation • replacing humans in monotonous, heavy and hazardous processes • What a distinctive feature is? • Work without direct control

5. Why we need it on off load ? What kinds of challenging environment do you image? • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion • Space (Moon, Mars), Volcano, Polar area (Antarctic) • Disaster happened area (bombed building) • Battlefields (wars, gun-shootings) • Academic environment (CMU) Why do we need robots in challenging environment? • For safety or to save life in challenging environment • (Can apply crime prevention / resolution besides research use)

6. A land locomotion on Moon A Land locomotion not robot Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion • Extend the area to be explored • But not safe for astronauts moving around unknown/uncertain area

7. Systems • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion • Mobile robots in challenging environment • Mars, Volcano, Antarctic -

8. In space • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion "Ambler,“ by CMU/NASA (’90) a six-legged, 12-foot-tall, prototype, autonomous robot with the "brains" and motor skills to explore rugged terrain “NASA mission managers had confidence that legged vehicles are a realistic alternative to wheeled rovers for lunar and Mars exploration”. Are legged-type robots ideal for locomotion on Moon or Mars to explorer ?

9. Wheeled type robots won the race on Mars • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion “FIDO” rover directly supports the NASA/JPL Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Project that will launch 2 rovers to Mars in the summer of 2003. • Autonomous on-board software that reduces the number of interactions with Earth-based mission operators Why wheeled type? No more legged type robots? Vision technology (“Watch” rather than “feel”) - Give robots an “insight” to identify the terrain - Give robots a “right” to select a path

10. Sanctuary of legged robots • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion “Dante II” by CMU/NASA, a tethered walking robot, which explored the Mt. Spurr (Aleutian Range, Alaska) volcano in July 1994. High-temperature, Legged-type robots are ideal for locomotion on steeper or less traction terrain, where vehicles cannot move.

11. Locomotion + Vision • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion “Nomad” by CMU/NASA (’98) drove 10.3km autonomously in Antarctica under a variety of weather and terrain conditions. “White out (no contrast)” Stereo vision works poorly or not at all. The laser sensor works well on all terrains

12. Challenges • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion • Challenges of • Mobile robots in challenging environment • Planning, Controlling, Communicating -

13. Challenges for autonomous Challenges (key research areas in robotics of challenging environment) • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion Autonomous (partial => full) (learning, decision making, intelligence, recovery) • Path planning • Control robots and manipulator • Operator interface and supervisory control

14. Robot capability • Autonomous • Goal directed • Proactive • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion Nomad (Antarctic) • Cooperative • Communication • (Cooperate to achieve goals) • Adaptive • Dynamic interaction • (Adapt to their environment) FIDO(Mars) Dante II(Legged robot)

15. Difficulties • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion • Difficulties of • mobile robots in challenging environment • Planning: • Path planning is made based on map. • Map is usually imperfect. • Knowing current position of robot (localization) • is critical point for autonomous • Controlling: • Terrain may not be hard enough • to support the weight of robot. • Robots may not have enough • traction from terrain to move as they expect. • Communicating: • Robots in far away (Mars) or behind obstacles • have less ability to communicate with controller.

16. Solutions • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion • Solutions for • Mobile robots in challenging environment • Vision technology, Faster algorism, • Efficient interaction -

17. Steps for autonomous locomotion • Path planning • - Capture: Laser / stereo sensor (Vision) • - Identify(Localization) :updating the distribution, based on robot motion and sensing - correlation-based Markov localization (CBML) – faster/less storages; • - Think : error recovery module • Control robots and manipulator • - Advanced wheel-terrain interaction mechanics: faster and on-line calculation • - Wheel-terrain contact angle: • angle estimation methodology to • get more stable traction • 3. Operator interface and supervisory control • - Software architecture : more efficient/less communication with vision (camera) support • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion

18. Conclusion • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion • Conclusion • Over 40 years’ on-going • research, science and engineering -

19. Conclusion • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion • Robots in “challenging environment” are necessary to achieve our varieties of goals “safely” and are trying to be “autonomous”. • But we must know more precisely …. • Where we are: • Accurate and efficient algorism for localization • What we see: • Robust vision technologies to capture terrain • What we expect: • Less/faster and on-line calculation to estimate terrain and locomotion

20. A book • The bible has already described the following points in 1960; • A motor vehicle and the train concept • Physical properties of soil, mud and snow • Geometrical properties of terrain surface • Motions resistance and vehicular forms • Operational definition of mechanical mobility • Wheel-terrain interaction mechanics • And more…. • Introduction • Systems • Mars • Volcano • Antarctic • Challenges • Solutions • Conclusion

21. Q&A Thank you for kind attention! I would like to be happy to answer any question you might have.