A modular approach for remote operation of humanoid robots in search and rescue scenarios

In the present work we have designed and implemented a modular, robust and user-friendly Pilot Interface meant to control humanoid robots in rescue scenarios during dangerous missions. We follow the common approach where the robot is semi-autonomous and it is remotely controlled by a human operator. In our implementation, YARP is used both as a communication channel for low-level hardware components and as an interconnecting framework between control modules. The interface features the capability to receive the status of these modules continuously and request actions when required. In addition, ROS is used to retrieve data from different types of sensors and to display relevant information of the robot status such as joint positions, velocities and torques, force/torque measurements and inertial data. Furthermore the operator is immersed into a 3D reconstruction of the environment and is enabled to manipulate 3D virtual objects. The Pilot Interface allows the operator to control the robot at three different levels. The high-level control deals with human-like actions which involve the whole robot’s actuation and perception. For instance, we successfully teleoperated IIT’s COmpliant huMANoid (COMAN) platform to execute complex navigation tasks through the composition of elementary walking commands (e.g.[walk_forward, 1m]). The mid-level control generates tasks in cartesian space, based on the position and orientation of objects of interest (i.e. valve, door handle) w.r.t. a reference frame on the robot. The low level control operates in joint space and is meant as a last resort tool to perform fine adjustments (e.g. release a trapped limb). Finally, our Pilot Interface is adaptable to different tasks, strategies and pilot’s needs, thanks to a modular architecture of the system which enables to add/remove single front-end components (e.g. GUI widgets) as well as back-end control modules on the fly

Development and Testing of a Software Framework for Controlling Humanoid Robots in Disaster-Response Scenarios

The aim of this thesis is to design and develop a modular software framework for controlling humanoid robots in teleoperation, in a context of disaster-response or civil defense. Over the years, natural (earthquakes, floods, etc.) or man-made disasters (nuclear reactor meltdowns, terrorist attacks, etc.) have caused several victims. The state of the art of disaster-robotics allows to deploy efficient and powerful robots in order to assist and support humans in the delicate phases of searching and rescuing survivors. In particular, with the use of teleoperation, the inclusion of a human operator (human-in-the-loop) can dramatically promote the application of humanoid robots, due to the human superior competence in critical thinking and context-awareness. This way, robots can be used as an interface between man and environment. Under these concepts, the thesis work focused on the design of a robust and efficient control architecture that brings whole-body locomotion and manipulation capabilities to the robot. Specifically, this thesis dealt with the development of a software module for teleoperating a robot while it is in a vehicle, making it able to drive. The module internal architecture is structured as a Finite State Machine, which allows to model a workflow of behaviors in an event-driven manner, providing safe and robust control in a teleoperation scenario. The effectiveness of the developed software has been validated during the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals, occured in Pomona, CA (USA), on June 5-6 of 2015

A Modular Approach for Remote Operation of Humanoid Robots in Search and Rescue Scenarios

In the present work we have designed and implemented a modular, robust and user-friendly Pilot Interface meant to control humanoid robots in rescue scenarios during dangerous missions. We follow the common approach where the robot is semi-autonomous and it is remotely controlled by a human operator. In our implementation, YARP is used both as a communication channel for low-level hardware components and as an interconnecting framework between control modules. The interface features the capability to receive the status of these modules continuously and request actions when required. In addition, ROS is used to retrieve data from different types of sensors and to display relevant information of the robot status such as joint positions, velocities and torques, force/torque measurements and inertial data. Furthermore the operator is immersed into a 3D reconstruction of the environment and is enabled to manipulate 3D virtual objects. The Pilot Interface allows the operator to control the robot at three different levels. The high-level control deals with human-like actions which involve the whole robot’s actuation and perception. For instance, we successfully teleoperated IIT’s COmpliant huMANoid (COMAN) platform to execute complex navigation tasks through the composition of elementary walking commands (e.g.[walk_forward, 1m]). The mid-level control generates tasks in cartesian space, based on the position and orientation of objects of interest (i.e. valve, door handle) w.r.t. a reference frame on the robot. The low level control operates in joint space and is meant as a last resort tool to perform fine adjustments (e.g. release a trapped limb). Finally, our Pilot Interface is adaptable to different tasks, strategies and pilot’s needs, thanks to a modular architecture of the system which enables to add/remove single front-end components (e.g. GUI widgets) as well as back-end control modules on the fly