Humanoid Haptic User Interface

"A High Degree of Freedom Manipulator Requires a High Degree of Freedom Controller"

For the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) team: Team Steel, I developed a way to teleoperate that utilize a kinematically similar model of ATLAS robot. The User interface enables one to puppeteer the robot as if it were a doll.

During the chalenge we needed a quick way to trouble hoot and test different manipulation strategies for the tasks. My prof said he want a lifesize verson of atlas that he could control tangibly. He complained about how tedius it was to manually test different joint angles for a humanoid robot. A more streamline process was required.

P1:

P1 was designed to match the dimensions and joint measurement of the early ATLAS robot simulations. Having constructed early haptic user interfaces of just the hand and arm utilizing potentiometers, a connect to manipulate the joint value on the ROS Atlas simulation was establish. P1 uses modifed hobby servo HB-311s, which i hijack the servo's potentiometers reading to rout through an arduino running a ROS script. The waist roll and pitch was a recycled DC motors that were outfitted with POTs.

P2:

P2 consists of 12 Dynamixel Servos, 6 on each arm. Dynamixels servo were chosen for there high percison and high torque capacity. The Shoulders and surrounding elbow limbs were constructed out of laser-cut acyrlic. The shoulder yaw and roll joints are MX-108. The bicep and elbow are MX-64. The Forarm yaw and wrist are RX-28s.

The torso is a machinced a 3x4 aluminum extrusion. Arbotix with RX bridge for RS485 communication to the Dynamixel servos. The waist roll and pitch can maintain the torso upright position with basic PID control.

The P2 system is more accurate than P1, and can main it's arm positions soundly. Matching Atlas's propotions

One of the Challlenges tasks was to clear debris in front of a doorway. This video showcases the haptic interface controller the simulation to complete the task. The interface give more instanteous control and provides safety netin case of errors..

Video is at twice speed.