We propose to develop Legged Robot Mule, a new kind of robot that helps dismounted soldiers by carrying part of their load. Legged Robot Mule will travel on operationally-relevant terrain, such as narrow mountain trails and densely wooded jungles. It will use dynamic balance to support its payload while maintaining a narrow base, enhancing its mobility. It will use computer vision to follow a human soldier who acts as its guide. It will be powered by a gasoline engine that operates for several hours without refueling. Phase I of Legged Robot Mule development will focus on establishing the feasibility of the concept. We will develop requirements for the sensing, mechanical design, locomotion control algorithms and energetics of the robot. In Phase II we will build, test and demonstrate two Legged Robot Mules in the field.
Benefits: Once legged robots with advanced mobility, efficiency, and load carriage capability are available, they will have a major impact on a variety of military and non-military applications. If such vehicles were available today, they would be used to off-load dismounted soldiers on expeditionary missions and to facilitate supply operations as they travel through dangerous and rugged terrain. They would be used for mine/counter-mine operations and to place sensor packages in otherwise inaccessible or hostile locations. Both of the US Army's top development and acquisition programs, Future Combat Systems (FCS) and Objective Force Warrior (OFW), depend heavily on advanced robots for load carriage, reconnaissance, and remote sensing functions. The work proposed here is designed to address these needs. In addition to these military applications, there is a growing market for entertainment robots. Over 100,000 Sony "Aibo" robots have been sold to consumers while new machines such as the Sony Dream Robot (SDR) are in advanced development. Robots with advanced mobility and agility will create more lifelike, interesting, and useful toys for this commercial market.
Keywords: Legged Robot, Load carriage for soldiers, Emergency response robot, Mule, Dynamic stability
