X-RHex-Light shows off its obstacle beating agility
Parkour is all about hurling yourself quickly and efficiently past
whatever obstacles are in your path while maintaining as much momentum
as possible. It's a challenge for humans, so how would robots fare? In
an effort to push the boundaries of robotic agility, researchers at the
University of Pennsylvania decided to find out by teaching their RHex
robot some Parkour moves.
RHex is designed to be an all-terrain walking robot
that can deal with curbs, stairs, puddles, rubble, sinkholes, and other
obstacles to accomplish rescue missions or carry out sensor surveys in
inhospitable areas. While the RHex has been around for over a decade, a
modified version called XRL (X-RHex-Light) is now being taught some new
tricks by UPenn's Professor Daniel Koditschek.
XRL differs from its earlier relatives by using lighter materials and
simpler fabrication methods. A complete shell of carbon fiber panels
surrounds the XRL frame, and it has only a single battery compartment.
The XRL is 51 cm (20 in) long, 40.5 cm (16 in) wide, and the body alone
is 10 cm (four inches) in thickness. The diameter of the six flexible
rotating legs is 17.5 cm (6.9 in), giving the XRL ground clearance of 11
cm (4.3 in) regardless of which end is up at the moment. It's weight
including battery pack is 6.7 kg (14.7 lb).
For motive power, the XRL depends on two 50 watt brushless pancake
electric motors by Maxon (one for each leg). The actual peak power for
these motors is about 380 watts, or about half a horsepower. These
motors are geared down by a factor of either 18:1 or 23:1, depending on
the nature of the landscape on which it is being tested. Powered derives
from a ten-cell lithium polymer battery with a capacity of 83 W-hr at
37 volts. Battery weight is about 0.6 kg (1.3 lb).
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