Artist’s conception of robotic emergency responders. (Illustration courtesy of DARPA.)
In a competition to be held on December 21, 2013, DARPA will measure the effectiveness of each team’s robots performing the following tasks:
| 1. |
Drive a utility vehicle at the site. |
| 2. |
Travel dismounted across rubble. |
| 3. |
Remove debris blocking an entryway. |
| 4. |
Open a door and enter a building. |
|
| 5. |
Climb a ladder and traverse a walkway. |
| 6. |
Use a tool to break through a concrete panel. |
| 7. |
Locate and close a valve near a leaking pipe. |
| 8. |
Replace a component such as a cooling pump. |
|
|
|
The DARPA Robotics Challenge is a response to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, where robots were ill-equipped to assess the disaster, inspect the facility, and fix problems. Its goal is to develop ground robots that can work in dangerous, degraded, human-engineered environments. DRC Competitors will focus on robots that can use standard tools and equipment commonly available in human environments, ranging from hand tools to vehicles. To achieve its goal, the DRC aims to advance the current state of the art in the enabling technologies of supervised autonomy in perception and decision-making, mounted and dismounted mobility, dexterity, strength, and platform endurance.
DARPA selected and funded seven Track A and 12 Track B competitors. Track A teams bring or develop their own robot to the competition. Track B teams develop software for a DARPA furnished ATLAS humanoid robot.
| |
