We propose to design, build, control, and test a full-scale quadrupedal robot. The robot will have capabilities that allow it to overcome many of the hurdles that currently impede conventional wheeled and tracked vehicles. The robot will be able to scramble over debris, step over ledges and gaps, jump over ditches and small obstacles, and run up stairs. This robot will fill a role in several Army mission scenarios, including acting as a scout in an urban environment. The Phase II deliverables will include an outdoor demonstration of a functional prototype. In an ongoing Army-sponsored SBIR Phase I project, we are performing a feasibility study of the quadrupedal robot. We have performed physically realistic simulations of the quadruped, developed control algorithms for walking, trotting, and jumping and extracted the power requirements from those simulations. These power requirements have been used to specify power and actuation systems for the robot to be built in Phase II. The control system development and the power system designs demonstrate that the robot is technically feasible and should be able to perform its mission objectives.
Benefits: Unmanned robotic vehicles are quickly becoming a very important and useful tool for both military and commercial applications including surveillance and reconnaissance, bomb detection and disposal, and search and rescue operations. Legged robots provide an opportunity to fill several niches in the mobile robot markets. A highly mobile legged robot could fulfill several mission requirements, such as functioning as an urban scout to warn troops of dangers around a corner, up a set of stairs, or on the other side of a pile of rubble.
Keywords: robot, urban scout, enhanced mobility, rough terrain, legged, unmanned ground vehicle