Matthew Frost

Mobile Manipulation and Mobility as Manipulation-Design and Algorithms of RoboSimian

This article presents the hardware design and software algorithms of RoboSimian, a statically stable quadrupedal robot capable of both dexterous manipulation and versatile mobility in difficult terrain. The robot has generalized limbs and hands capable of mobility and manipulation, along with almost fully hemispherical three-dimensional sensing with passive stereo cameras. The system is semiautonomous, enabling low-bandwidth, high latency control operated from a standard laptop. Because limbs are used for mobility and manipulation, a single unified mobile manipulation planner is used to generate autonomous behaviors, including walking, sitting, climbing, grasping, and manipulating. The remote operator interface is optimized to designate, parametrize, sequence, and preview behaviors, which are then executed by the robot. RoboSimian placed fifth in the DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials, demonstrating its ability to perform disaster recovery tasks in degraded human environments.

Gravity‐independent Rock‐climbing Robot and a Sample Acquisition Tool with Microspine Grippers

A rock-climbing robot is presented that can free climb on vertical, overhanging, and inverted rock faces. This type of system has applications to extreme terrain on Mars or for sustained mobility on microgravity bodies. The robot grips the rock using hierarchical arrays of microspines. Microspines are compliant mechanisms made of sharp hooks and flexible elements that allow the hooks to move independently and opportunistically grasp roughness on the surface of a rock. This paper presents many improvements to early microspine grippers, and the application of these new grippers to a four-limbed robotic system, LEMUR IIB. Each gripper has over 250 microspines distributed in 16 carriages. Carriages also move independently with compliance to conform to larger, cm-scale roughness. Single gripper pull testing on a variety of rock types is presented, and on rough rocks, a single gripper can support the entire mass of the robot (10 kg) in any orientation. Several sensor combinations for the grippers were evaluated using a smaller test-gripper. Rock-climbing mobility experiments are also described for three characteristic gravitational orientations. Finally, a sample acquisition tool that uses one of the robots grippers to enable rotary percussive drilling is shown.

Controllable ON-OFF adhesion for Earth orbit grappling applications

ON-OFF adhesives can benefit multiple Earth orbit applications by providing the capability to selectively anchor two surfaces together repeatedly and releasably without significant preload. Key to this new capability, targets will not need special preparation; ON-OFF adhesives can be used with cooperative and non-cooperative objects, like defunct satellites or space debris. Using an ON-OFF adhesive gripper allows large surfaces on a target to serve as potential grapple points, reducing the precision needed in the sensing and control throughout the grapple operation. A space-rated adhesive structure is presented that can be turned ON-OFF using a slight sliding motion. This adhesive mimics the geometry and performance characteristics of the adhesive structures found on the feet of gecko lizards. Results from adhesive testing on common orbital surfaces like solar panels, thermal blankets, composites, and painted surfaces are presented. Early environmental testing results from cold temperature and vacuum tests are also presented. Finally, the paper presents the design, fabrication, and preliminary testing of a gripping mechanism enabled by these ON-OFF adhesives in preparation for satellite-servicing applications. Adhesive levels range from near zero on rough surfaces to more than 75 kPa on smooth surfaces like glass.

Demonstrations of gravity-independent mobility and drilling on natural rock using microspines

The video presents microspine-based anchors being developed for gripping rocks on the surfaces of comets and asteroids, or for use on cliff faces and lava tubes on Mars. Two types of anchor prototypes are shown on supporting forces in all directions away from the rock; >;160 N tangent, >;150 N at 45°, and >;180 N normal to the surface of the rock. A compliant robotic ankle with two active degrees of freedom interfaces these anchors to the Lemur IIB robot for future climbing trials. Finally, a rotary percussive drill is shown coring into rock regardless of gravitational orientation. As a harder-than-zero-g proof of concept, inverted drilling was performed creating 20mm diameter boreholes 83 mm deep in vesicular basalt samples while retaining 12 mm diameter rock cores in 3-6 pieces.

Video presentation of a rock climbing robot

JPL has developed the worlds first rock climbing robot. This video presents climbing trials at vertical, overhanging, and inverted angles, and a zero-g drill for astronauts.