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Team WPI‐CMU: Achieving Reliable Humanoid Behavior in the DARPA Robotics Challenge
Author(s) -
DeDonato Mathew,
Polido Felipe,
Knoedler Kevin,
Babu Benzun P. W.,
Banerjee Nandan,
Bove Christoper P.,
Cui Xiongyi,
Du Ruixiang,
Franklin Perry,
Graff Joshua P.,
He Peng,
Jaeger Aaron,
Li Lening,
Berenson Dmitry,
Gennert Michael A.,
Feng Siyuan,
Liu Chenggang,
Xinjilefu X,
Kim Joohyung,
Atkeson Christopher G.,
Long Xianchao,
Padır Taşkın
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of field robotics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.152
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4967
pISSN - 1556-4959
DOI - 10.1002/rob.21685
Subject(s) - robotics , humanoid robot , robot , artificial intelligence , computer science , operator (biology) , reset (finance) , human–computer interaction , simulation , focus (optics) , abstraction , biochemistry , chemistry , physics , philosophy , epistemology , repressor , transcription factor , financial economics , optics , economics , gene
In the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC), participating human‐robot teams were required to integrate mobility, manipulation, perception, and operator interfaces to complete a simulated disaster mission. We describe our approach using the humanoid robot Atlas Unplugged developed by Boston Dynamics. We focus on our approach, results, and lessons learned from the DRC Finals to demonstrate our strategy, including extensive operator practice, explicit monitoring for robot errors, adding additional sensing, and enabling the operator to control and monitor the robot at varying degrees of abstraction. Our safety‐first strategy worked: we avoided falling, and remote operators could safely recover from difficult situations. We were the only team in the DRC Finals that attempted all tasks, scored points (14/16), did not require physical human intervention (a reset), and did not fall in the two missions during the two days of tests. We also had the most consistent pair of runs.