Cornell robots: all are autonomous, use little or no power and can't stand with parallel legs

Interested in Theory? Robotics & locomotion papers                          Lecture about robots by Andy Ruina at CMU in Sept 2012 (about an hour).

Picture of Ranger

Cornell Ranger

v1: 2001-6, v2.1: 2006-2008, v3: 2009-2012

Powered, 4-leg "biped," no knees. Walks on level ground. Radio-control steering by twisting inner legs.

Records: 9 km on April 3, 2009; 23 km (=14.3 mi) on July 5-6, 2010; 65 km (40.5 miles) on May 1-2, 2011. All without recharge or any human touch.
Picture of stever powered robot

Powered Biped with Knees

2003-2005

Ankle powered, minimally controlled. Walks on level ground.

Most energy-effective robot: 11 watts total, 0.2 J/N m.
Science Magazine, 2005
Picture of Steve passive robot

Passive Biped with Knees

v1 armless, v2 with arms (shown): 1999-2001

Passive-dynamic, two legs and knees. The most advanced passive-dynamic robot to date. Walks downhill.

J. Robotics Res., 2001
 Picture of mcgeer robot

McGeer Copies

v1 & v2 (shown): 1996-2000

4 legged passive "biped" with knees. Walks downhill.

Dynamics and Stability of Systems, 2000
Picture of Tinkertoy

Tinker Toy Walkers

v1 (shown) and v2: 1996-2001

Passive biped. Can't stand stably in any configuration (even with splayed legs). Walks downhill.

Phys. Rev. Letters 1998, PRL-E 2001

   Picture of proposed robot

What's next?

Dec. 11, 2012 Proposal submitted to NSF (NRI program). Cross your fingers for us.

Ranger is 2D, this will be 3D.
Ranger has 3 motors, this will have 10.
Ranger has no payload, this will carry an upper body.
Goal: match the robustness of Asimo/Petman/Atlas but with 1/10th the power. A stretch, but we think we can do it.

Last edits by Jen Cheu 11/18/09