Research for a multi-modal mobility and manipulation propulsion core

Abstract

There are many challenges for robotics, many of which may be placed in the context of robots acting as a teammate to Soldiers. In general one may see a robotic teammate as an unmanned system that complements a Soldier's capability, may perform some of the duties of a Soldier, or may actually protect the Soldier. There is much research that needs to be performed before robots are physically capable of performing as teammates to Soldiers in dynamic environments where speed matters, and in complex 3-D environments where navigation for today's robots is difficult. This research addresses a fundamental obstacle to addressing this issue, which is how to safely and cost effectively develop theory and controls for a new generation of robots that may operate at operations tempo (OPTEMPO) in dynamic complex 3-D environments. This paper documents design and fabrication of a research platform capable of demonstrating theory and control algorithms developed for highly dynamic robotics systems, which may need to navigate and perform a task in complex 3-D environments. The research platform has been designed to address challenging basic research in the areas of airborne manipulation, transition to and interaction with vertical surfaces, exploration of a constrained space such as urban environments (street level to rooftop), forests, and underground facilities. The platform will allow controls development and validation for a vehicle that's weight is at least partially supported by a propulsion system to perform work on the environment and/or an object within the environment.