Poster Session

Precise Leaping and Balanced Landing

Authors: Justin K. Yim, B. Roodra P. Singh, Eric K. Wang, Roy Featherstone, and Ronald S. Fearing

Abstract — The ability to accurately target leaps and balance landings is important for a jumper navigating small footholds in a complicated environment. We demonstrate targeted leaping as well as balanced landing on a narrow foot with a small, single leg hopping robot, Salto-1P. Using stance-phase balance to direct leaps provides higher precision for a jumper to reach small targets. Landing allows the robot to execute subsequent stance-phase directed leaps or transition to other modes of locomotion including standing still to save power.

Extended Abstract:

Blind Haptic Navigation for Legged Robots

Authors: Russell Buchanan, Marco Camurri, Maurice Fallon

Abstract — Exteroceptive sensors may fail due to fog, dark- ness, dirt or malfunction which is a significant challenge to “real-world” deployment of legged robots. To enable au- tonomous navigation in condition such as underground mines or sewers, we have developed a proprioceptive-only navigation pipeline which localizes against a prior map of an environment. We show how this method can be used with a blind probing planner to localize along a path. We have tested the localization approach online and onboard the ANYmal. In simulations the robot was able to walk 35 m completely blind with median APE of 13cm.

Extended Abstract:

Novel Ideas for Hybrid Wheel-Leg Robots with AGRO (the Agile Ground RObot)

Authors: Daniel J. Gonzalez and Christopher M. Korpela

Abstract — We present a Hybrid Wheel-Leg Four-Wheeled Independent Drive and Steering (4WIDS) robot named AGRO and a method of controlling its orientation while airborne using wheel reaction torques. Inspired by a cat's self-righting reflex, this capability was developed to allow emergency response personnel to rapidly deploy AGRO by throwing it over walls and fences or through windows without the risk of it landing upside down. Simple PD controllers allow for stabilization of roll, pitch, and yaw. An experiment comparing a controlled and non-controlled fall was conducted in which AGRO was dropped from a height of 0.85 m with an initial roll and pitch angle of 16 degrees and -23 degrees respectively. AGRO 2 will incorporate non-pneumatic tires to dampen impacts to its in-wheel hub motors and 1DOF front and rear legs, allowing it to hop up stairs or onto curbs and other obstacles.

Extended Abstract: