Society of Robots - Robot Forum

General Misc => Misc => Topic started by: Admin on July 11, 2013, 09:41:02 PM

Title: new DARPA biped, Atlas by Boston Dynamics
Post by: Admin on July 11, 2013, 09:41:02 PM
from the same company that brought you Big Dog, the robot so loud the enemy can hear you coming from miles away lol . . .

the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkBnFPBV3f0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkBnFPBV3f0)


more details:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/humanoids/darpa-unveils-atlas-drc-robot (http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/humanoids/darpa-unveils-atlas-drc-robot)
Title: Re: new DARPA biped, Atlas by Boston Dynamics
Post by: T0110100101101101K on July 11, 2013, 10:32:00 PM

...so loud the enemy can hear you coming from miles away lol . . .

You forgot how inconvenient it is for a harness system to be set up everywhere.  Is it just me, or does it look like the human belay is helping navigate those stairs upright.  ;D
Title: Re: new DARPA biped, Atlas by Boston Dynamics
Post by: Admin on July 12, 2013, 08:26:05 AM
I'm convinced it's authentic robust control.

As for the tether, it not only passes power and control, but it also has oil coolant being pumped through to cool the motors that are being over-driven. So, no battery mass, and reduced motor mass, makes it possible. I was given the impression when going to a talk at DARPA that batteries would need to improve by at least 10x in power density before they could realistically remove that tether with decent operational times.
Title: Re: new DARPA biped, Atlas by Boston Dynamics
Post by: jwatte on July 12, 2013, 10:30:53 AM
The latest one uses hydraulics rather than motor actuators. With closed-loop control. And LIDAR. SWEET!

I wish I could be working with this level of hardware and software :-)
Title: Re: new DARPA biped, Atlas by Boston Dynamics
Post by: T0110100101101101K on July 12, 2013, 11:19:51 AM
...batteries would need to improve by at least 10x in power density before they could realistically remove that tether.

10x!   :o  How do they overcome the power problem with Big Dog?
Title: Re: new DARPA biped, Atlas by Boston Dynamics
Post by: Admin on July 12, 2013, 08:25:07 PM
...batteries would need to improve by at least 10x in power density before they could realistically remove that tether.

10x!   :o  How do they overcome the power problem with Big Dog?

Big Dog doesn't use a battery . . . There is enough room on it for a combustion engine and a gas tank. Gas has way better power density than batteries.

It's been estimated that human fat has up to 100x the power density of modern batteries, too. Humans can go days without eating . . . a big biped, maybe 20 minutes before needing a recharge.
Title: Re: new DARPA biped, Atlas by Boston Dynamics
Post by: jwatte on July 12, 2013, 11:34:07 PM
I wonder if you can do something like a fat-based fuel cell... ?

Btw, the energy density isn't *that* much greater in gasoline. Where it really wins is in the power transfer speed when filling up again. Although Tesla recently demoed 90-second automated battery swaps for their cars, which is nice where the infrastructure is available. (Pretty much the definition of where soldiers aren't needed ;-)

It turns out that a turbine engine or highly tuned combustion engine running at a fixed RPM will be a lot more efficient than a regular variable-throttle engine. Using that to run an alternator to charge batteries and power electric motors/servos is actually a pretty efficient way of getting movement out of diesel fuel; typically more so than letting the variable-throttle engine directly power wheels (!)