Robonaut: NASAs Humanoid Assistant

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Robonaut NASAs Humanoid Assistant
Scott Askew NASA Robotics for Research and
Exploration Oct. 1, 2002
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Presentation Overview

• Types of Space Robots
• Robonaut Objectives and Advances
• Robonaut Anatomy
• Robonaut Experiments
• Human Robot Interaction
• Robonaut Future Applications

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Types of Space Robots

• Planetary Probes
• Planetary Rovers
• Large Payload Handler
• Inspection Free Flyer
• Maintenance
• Astronaut Assistant

Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
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Some Current Robots in Space

• Rovers have shown how robotic systems can work
  without a human presence to explore new
  environments.

Sojourner on Mars
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Current Robots in Space (cont.)

• Robots are also important for helping humans work
  in space.

Hubble Space Telescope Servicing with RMS
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Current Robots in Space (cont.)

• Autonomous EVA Robotic Camera (AERCam) flew on
  STS-87 in December 1997
• 35 pound, 14 inch diameter padded sphere
• Allows humans to see places normally hidden from
  fixed camera view

AERCam Sprint free flying on STS-87
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Current Robots in Space (cont.)

• Robots can do some routine maintenance tasks to
  allow Astronauts to do more valuable work

Canadian Space Agency Special Purpose Dexterous
Manipulator
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A Future Robot Designed to Help Astronauts in
Space
ROBONAUT
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NASAs Reliance on EVA

• Long Term Investment in EVA capabilities
• Shuttle and Station
• Hundreds of satellites
• EVA roles
• Contingency
• High Dexterity
• Opportunity
• Need for human form
• Working with EVA tools

STS-103 Astronaut Claude Nicollier works at a
storage enclosure, using one of the Hubble power
tools
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ROBONAUT
Objective To develop a space robot with
dexterous capability exceeding that of a suited
Astronaut.

• Robonauts Mission
• Astronauts Assistant (takes risks and burdens)
• Minuteman Robot on call
• Virtual surrogate to other worlds

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Watch the Video
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ROBONAUT Progress

• Thrusts during FY01
• Autonomy
• Added vision
• Added voice
• Added sequence logic
• Collaboration
• Created RoboSim
• Created RoboAPI
• 3 Human Factors Studies
• 2 Human/Robot Team Studies
• Recent Work in FY02
• Multi tool identification
• Human Tracking
• Tool Exchange
• New Human/Robot Team Study

ROBONAUT Fall 1998
ROBONAUT Fall 1999
ROBONAUT Fall 2000
ROBONAUT Fall 2001
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ROBONAUT 2002 Integration

• New Anatomy
• Mouth (Voice Synthesis)
• Ear (Voice Recognition)
• Nose (Thermal Sensor)
• Eyes w/ verge
• Visual Cortex (Image Recognition)
• Memory System
• Body and Backpack
• Gloves
• Remote Telepresence Workstation
• Graphical Simulation (RoboSim) and Programming
  Interface (API)

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Recent FY02 Advances
Give and take a tool from a human commander
Search for and find a tool, partially occluded by
a hand
Find a tool within a field of many tools
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ROBONAUT Anatomy
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ROBONAUT Hand

• Mechanical Design
• 5 Fingers
• 12 DOF Hand
• 2 DOF Wrist
• Human scale
• 5 lb Finger tip strength
• 6 lb hand/forearm weight
• Electrical Design
• Embedded avionics
• Motors mounted in forearm
• 43 Sensors
• Control
• Finger joint position control
• Finger tip force control

Photos of 14 DOF ROBONAUT Hand/Wrist
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ROBONAUT Arm

• Mechanical Design
• 5 DOF upper arm
• 7 DOF with wrist
• Human scale
• 11 strength/weight
• Electrical Design
• Embedded avionics
• 16 Sensors per joint
• Dual 6 Axis load cells
• Control Design
• Cartesian Kinematics
• Impedance Control
• Hard real time system

Photo of 5 DOF ROBONAUT Arm
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ROBONAUT Waist Joint

• 3 DOF
• Hip Joint
• 200 ft-lb
• Teleoperated
• Embedded avionics
• Large motion range

Photo of ROBONAUT Waist mounted at JSC
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ROBONAUT Torso

• Mobility
• 3 Axis Waist
• Roll, Yaw Pitch
• Large Range of motion
• Extends Reach
• Protection
• Carbon Shell
• Kevlar Skin
• Suspension
• Sensing
• Force/Moment Sensing
• Tactile sensing

Endoskeleton
ROBONAUTs Carbon Body Shells
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ROBONAUT Head Neck

• Mechanical Design
• 2 DOF Neck
• Common with arm
• Protective helmet
• Recessed cameras
• Electrical Design
• Embedded avionics
• Stereo color cameras
• Temperature Sensor
• Control
• Helmet tracking
• Real time control

Photo of 2 DOF ROBONAUT Neck and Head
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ROBONAUT Eyes

• Mechanical Design
• 2 DOF Verge
• Motorized zoom
• 2 Primary cameras
• 2 Secondary cameras
• Electrical Design
• Emebedded avionics
• Integrated camera packages
• Control
• Network service cameras
• Zoom, focus, iris
• Brainstem verge

Photo of ROBONAUT eyes installed
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ROBONAUT Stereo Vision

• Testbed Work in Progress
• Human tracking with stereo vision
• Object identification
• New Sensors in Head
• 5 Camera Layout
• 2 w/ Focus, zoom iris
• 2 w/ fixed focus
• Active vergence on these 4
• 1 IR Camera
• Stereo microphones
• Future Work
• Human hand tracking
• Object pose identification

Images off vision system
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ROBONAUT Memory

• Function of Hippocampus
• Testbed Work in Progress
• Using Vanderbilts ISAC System
• Peters Sensory Ego Sphere
• Spatio-temporal mapping
• Links sensory, motor data to environmental
  objects
• Integrated w/ ROBONAUT
• Data read starting a search
• Data write visual object ID/pose
• Data read reaching target
• Future Work
• Expand data structure
• Integrate w/ haptic grasping

Dr. Peters Model of ROBONAUTs Ego Sphere
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ROBONAUT 2001 Experiments
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0g Climbing Experiment

• Investigate Robonauts ability to perform EVA
  tasks
• Climbing on 0g Mockup
• Using hand Rails
• Deploying Cable
• Route cable across surface
• Mating EVA connector
• Test w/ flight hardware

Mating EVA Connector
Photo of Robonaut Climbing on Mockup
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Planetary Geology Experiment

• Investigate Robonauts ability to handle geologic
  tools, rocks, and complex sampling tasks.
• Using Rock Cracker
• Cracker is not designed for ease of use by a
  robot
• Digging and sampling
• Work in general terrain
• Handle irregularly shaped rocks

Cracking rock sample
Photo of Robonaut inspecting rock sample
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Autonomy Experiment

• Investigate automating Robonaut to serve as a
  humans assistant
• Develop new Function
• Vision
• Brainstem
• Cerebellum
• Memory
• Work with people
• Take voice commands
• Hand tools to person

Handling tools
Photo of Robonaut listening for voice commands
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Human Interface Experiments

• Completed 4 human interface experiments with many
  test subjects
• MIT Jen Rochlis working on visual displays
• NASDA Sachiko Wakabayashi working on constrained
  motion
• Univ. of Houston Lore Williams working on force
  feedback
• RIT Julie Adams working on qualitative modeling
  of robot health and state.

Jen Rochlis during her experiment
Lore Williams during her experiment
Sachiko Wakabayashi during her experiment
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Human-Robot Teams Experiment

• Investigate the operations of teams of humans and
  robots working together.
• Identify distinct forms of interaction
• Communication
• Command and Control
• Voice (bi-directional)
• Gestures
• Physical contact
• Hand offs
• Coordinated forces
• Compare to human only teams.

Autonomous Robonaut helping with tools
Teleoperated Robonaut helping in construction
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Forms of Human/Robot Interaction

• Information Connections
• Levels of Intervention
• Autonomous
• Supervised
• Teleoperated
• Forms of Communication
• Voice
• Natural gestures
• Input devices
• Sensor Feedback
• State health
• Physical Connections
• Presence (in situ)
• Intermittent contact (hand off)
• Coordinated contact (work)

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Agent Interaction Teleoperation
Video Sensor Feedback
Command Data
Agents are connected by information alone
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Agent Interaction Autonomous Assistant for Human
Bi-Directional Data
Agents interact physically and with information
flow
Physical Interaction
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Agent Interaction Teleoperated Assistant for
Human
Information
Information
3 Heterogeneous agents with unique, multi-modal
interactions
Physical Connection
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ROBONAUT Future Applications
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ROBONAUT Anatomy for 0g Work
Stereo Vision Articulated Neck Embedded
CPUs RMS Interface Dexterous Arms 5 Fingered
Hands Stabilizing Leg Load Limiter WIF
Adapter
RMS Interface
Shuttle RMS
Space Station RMS
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Crane Mobility

• Roles
• Maintenance
• Investigation
• Assembly
• Strengths
• Fast deploy
• Extremely dexterous
• Weaknesses
• Low rigidity
• Dependence on SSRMS
• Hard to Demonstrate

RMS
ROBONAUT Animation integrated SSRMS
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Free Flyer Mobility

• Roles
• Spacecraft Inspection
• Material Transport
• Rescue Retrieval
• Repair
• Assembly
• Strengths
• No tether
• Fast Deploy
• Extreme dexterity
• Weaknesses
• No tether
• Short range
• Hard to Demonstrate

Bus
Dragonfly
SAFER Rocket Pack
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Rover Mobility

• Roles
• Exploration
• Search and rescue
• Construction
• Strengths
• Range
• Large sensor payload
• Weaknesses
• Requires even terrain
• Easy to Demonstrate

ROBONAUT Animation integrated with CMU NOMAD Rover
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CENTAUR Exploration
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Earth Mobility
ROBONAUT digitally integrated with SegwayTM for
Earth Mobility
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The ROBONAUT TeamFor more info
robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov