The Darpa Robotics Challenge Trials will be occurring on December 20-21 and the teams attending are working hard to get ready. In previous blog posts, the whole challenge was explained and the Carnegie Mellon University Team presented:
CHIMP equipped with Robotiq 3-Finger robotic end effectors
However, since these articles, the Tartan Rescue Team from Carnegie Mellon University has made major advancements to their robot, CHIMP. Robotiq being a sponsor of the team, we receive interesting information that we would like to share with you.
In order to test their conceptions, the team has several test benches. Carnegie’s Tartan Rescue Team is putting their efforts into two main sections. First, a part of the team is working on the robotic arms, head and torso for the grasping and manipulation tasks. Then, they are working simultaneously on the lower torso and legs, to work on CHIMP’s mobility. Each section is tested on the hardware, as well as the software.
The tests on the upper part of the robot use a manipulator similar to CHIMP’s arms to test all the manipulations the robot will have to do in the trials in December. In the photo you can also notice the Robotiq 3-Finger Adaptive Robot Grippers that will provide the dexterity and flexibility needed for the competition.
The team conducted mobility tests in October when CHIMP took its first “steps”. The results were really satisfying and demonstrated the robot's stability. Moreover, these tests also confirmed that the drive joints were adequately designed to support the structure.
The next step will then be to test the whole system and get ready for the real test, the December competition.
The team is still looking for additional sponsorship in order to have the best resources needed to succeed in this great challenge.
The Trials will be held on December 20-21 at Homestead Speedway in Florida. The outdoor event is free and DARPA contacted a production team to make an Olympic-style coverage of the event. Moreover, there will be several cameras at each task during the challenge. Hopefully, DARPA will provide live streaming on Youtube for some portion of each day.
NOVA and National Geographic will work on a documentary of the DRC Trials in order to promote the educational aspect of the contest. Also, National Geographic is working on a kid-focused 3D film on developing humanoid robots that is tentatively scheduled to be presented in June 2014.
This event is not only a simple technological competition, we are talking about a worldwide event in order to develop and showcase new technologies with the potential to be used in disaster recovery scenarios.
We are looking forward to seeing all these advancements, and who knows, if these technologies will one day be useful in everyday life.