1. Toward Autonomous Free-Climbing Robots
Tim Bretl
Jean-Claude Latombe
Stephen Rock
Special thanks to Eric Baumgartner, Brett Kennedy, and Hrand Aghazarian at the Planetary Robotics Lab, NASA-JPL

2. Goal
Develop integrated control, planning, and sensing capabilities to enable a wide class of multi-limbed robots to climb steep natural terrain.
Free-climbing vs. aid-climbing
Talk about applications

3. Generic vs. Specific Robot
Free-climbing vs. aid-climbing
Talk about applications
LEMUR IIb,
Planetary Robotics Lab, NASA-JPL
Sitti and Fearing, UC Berkeley

4. Previous Multi-Limbed Climbing Robots
Each exploits a specific surface property
Free-climbing vs. aid-climbing
Talk about applications
Neubauer, 1994
NINJA II
Hirose et al, 1991
Yim, PARC, 2002

5. Free Rock Climbing is about Natural Friction …

6. … and Non-Gaited Motion
Spend some time here explaining your problem in a bit more technical detail. (Basically, take this from Section 3.1 of your ISRR paper, leading up to the description of the One-Step Climbing Problem, which you can state with the next slide.)
Also, here is where you can mention the similarities to re-grasping in a multi-finger hand, and to motion-planning methods for track and legged robots.

7. it is a problem-solving activity
Overall, rock climbing is about how to apply strength, not about strength itself
it is a problem-solving activity

8. Example System
Spend some time here explaining your problem in a bit more technical detail. (Basically, take this from Section 3.1 of your ISRR paper, leading up to the description of the One-Step Climbing Problem, which you can state with the next slide.)
Also, here is where you can mention the similarities to re-grasping in a multi-finger hand, and to motion-planning methods for track and legged robots.

9. Equilibrium Constraint
Free-climbing vs. aid-climbing
Talk about applications
Feasible positions of robot’s center of mass

10. Configuration Space For each combination of knee bends:
Position (xP,yP) of pelvis
Joint angles (q1,q2) of free limb

11. Feasible Space q2 q1 -p p Free-climbing vs. aid-climbing
Talk about applications

12. Feasible Space Simple test for the feasibility of (xp,yp) where…
Free-climbing vs. aid-climbing
Talk about applications

13. Feasible Space Qf Simple test for the feasibility of (xp,yp)
Feasible (1,2) varying with (xp,yp), in one half of f Qf
Free-climbing vs. aid-climbing
Talk about applications
where…

14. Feasible Space Simple test for the feasibility of (xp,yp)
Feasible (1,2), varying with (xp,yp), in one half of f
Switching between halves of f
Free-climbing vs. aid-climbing
Talk about applications

15. Motion Planning Basic Approach (Probabilistic Roadmap)
Sample 4D configuration space
Check equilibrium condition
Check (self-)collision
Check torque limit
Refined approach
Sample 2D pelvis space, lift to full 4D paths
Narrow passages are found in the 4D space
Free-climbing vs. aid-climbing
Talk about applications

16. Achieve q2=0
Move with q2=0
Switch between halves of Qf
Move to goal

17. backstep
highstep
lieback

18. JPL’s LEMUR robot

20. Current Work Terrain sensing and hold detection
Force control and slippage sensing
Uncertainty (hold location, limb positioning)
Motion optimization
Extension of feasible space analysis

21. What’s Next?
Xtreme ironing ?
>>> X

22. Xtreme ironing is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world