Image 1 - Working towards a highly mobile, legged exploration robot, the DLR Crawler is a first experimental platform to test various control, gait algorithms, and vision-based navigation

All images/graphics may be copyrighted and property of the author, creator and/or DLR.

DLR Crawler

company logo for DLR DLR

Country: Germany

Year: 2008

Summary

Working towards a highly mobile, legged exploration robot, the DLR Crawler is a first experimental platform to test various control, gait algorithms, and vision-based navigation

Status: Prototype, Research

Operation: Autonomous

Robot Type / Domain: Research, Other

Tasks: operation in a priori unknown, GPS-denied environments

Learn More

Working towards a highly mobile, legged exploration robot, the DLR Crawler is a first experimental platform to test various control and gait algorithms as well as different approaches to vision-based navigation. The robot employs the fingers of DLR Hand II as legs, which offer a unique combination of high performance actuation and a broad range of integrated sensors.

The robot was first presented to the public in 2008.

System description

Aiming at terrestrial and extra-terrestrial exploration, all locomotion- and navigation-related algorithms developed for the DLR Crawler focus on robust autonomous operation in a priori unknown, GPS-denied environments. Based on findings from biology, the gait algorithm of the DLR Crawler employs a highly flexible, decentralized approach, wherein neighboring legs influence each other by inhibiting or exciting stepping motions. Thus, the gait of the DLR Crawler does not show a fixed pattern but rather emerges according to the commanded velocity and the interaction of the legs with the local environment. In addition, joint torque sensors provide valuable proprioceptive measurements that enable sensitive interaction with the terrain by compliance control. Thus, in combination with three simple reflexes, the robot is able to negotiate all obstacles within its walking height autonomously. Furthermore, the gait coordination immediately adapts to the loss of a leg while the robot easily maintains its stability. In order to navigate in unknown terrain a stereo camera head is mounted on the DLR Crawler. Using the semi-global-matching-based stereo vision algorithm developed at the institute, the robot assesses the terrain traversability and plans a path to a desired goal solely based on the information acquired by its on-board sensors.

Technical Specifications

Min. Size: N/A

Max. Size: 350L 380W 90H (mm)

Max. Size: 13.780L 14.961W 3.543H (in)

Max. Payload: N/A

Weight: 3.66 kg

Weight: 8.069 lbs

Max. Locomotion Speed: 0.2 m/s

Max. Locomotion Speed: 0.656 ft/s

Max. Slope: N/A

Battery Operated? N/A

Average Runtime: N/A

Max. Runtime: N/A

Battery Recharge Time: N/A

Gaits: Walk, Other

Number of Legs: 6

DOFs per Leg: N/A

DOFs per Arm/Manipulator: N/A

DOFs (total): 18

Manipulation: N/A

IP Rating: N/A

Operating Temperature: N/A

Open-source? N/A

Price: N/A

Show more specs

Ground clearance: up to 12 cm

Sensors: • joints: motor-side Hall effect sensor, link-side potentiometer and torque sensor, temperature sensor • foot: 6-DOF force-torque sensor • body: IMU, stereo camera

Controller & Computing: • external control and navigation PCs; • fast SpaceWire link closes 1kHz control loop

Power supply: external 24 V supply

Data Transmission / Communication: • spacemouse for direct control • autonomous waypoint navigation to predefined goal

No more specs to show.

Please visit the official website for more accurate, up-to-date, and complete information on this post. Visit Website

References

Publications

M. Görner et al., “A leg proprioception based 6 DOF odometry for statically stable walking robots” in Autonomous Robots, 34 (4), pp. 311–326, Springer, 2013.
A. Stelzer et al., “Stereo-Vision-Based Navigation of a Six-Legged Walking Robot in Unknown Rough Terrain”, in the International Journal of Robotics Research, Special Issue on Robot Vision, 31(4), pp. 381–402, 2012.
A. Chilian et al., “Multisensor Data Fusion for Robust Pose Estimation of a Six-Legged Walking Robot”, in IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, San Francisco, CA, USA, 2011.
M. Görner et al., “Analysis and Evaluation of the Stability of a Biologically Inspired, Leg Loss Tolerant Gait for Six- and Eight-Legged Walking Robots”, in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, pp. 1525–1531, 2010.
M. Görner et al., “The DLR Crawler: evaluation of gaits and control of an actively compliant six-legged walking robot”, Industrial Robot: An International Journal, 36(4), pp. 344–351, 2009.
M. Görner et al., “The DLR-Crawler: A Testbed for Actively Compliant Hexapod Walking Based on the Fingers of DLR-Hand II”, in IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pp. 1525–1531, 2008.

Disclaimer: For informational purposes only. The provided data and/or content are intended as references and may contain errors. We appreciate your help in maintaining accuracy; if you spot any errors, please notify us. For the most reliable and up-to-date information, kindly refer to the official website. By using addoobot and its contents and services, you agree to our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Policy.