FRC Seminar: Stingray and Daredevil: High-Speed Teleoperation and All-Weather Perception for Small UGVs

Speaker: Brian Yamauchi, Lead Roboticist, iRobot Research

Abstract:

The mission of the iRobot Research Group is to conduct applied research to develop and integrate new technologies for iRobot products. In this talk, I will describe two ongoing research projects aimed at solving key problems in mobile robotics -- teleoperating UGVs at high speeds through urban environments (Stingray) -- and navigating autonomously in poor weather and detecting obstacles through foliage (Daredevil).

For Stingray, we have partnered with Chatten Associates to provide immersive telepresence for small UGVs using the Chatten Head-Aimed Remote Viewer (HARV). We have controlled the iRobot Warrior UGV and a high-speed 1/5-scale gas-powered radio-controlled car using the HARV. We will be adding driver assist behaviors to aid the operator in driving at high speeds.

For Daredevil, we are developing an all-weather perception payload for the PackBot that integrates ultra wideband (UWB) radar, LIDAR, and stereo vision. In initial experiments, we have demonstrated that UWB radar can detect obstacles through precipitation, smoke/fog, and sparse-to-moderate foliage. The payload will fuse the low-resolution UWB radar data with high-resolution range data from LIDAR and stereo vision. This will enable the PackBot to perform obstacle avoidance, waypoint navigation, path planning, and autonomous exploration in adverse weather and through foliage.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Brian Yamauchi is a Lead Roboticist with iRobot's Research Group. He has been conducting robotics research and development for the last 19 years. He is the Principal Investigator for the Daredevil and Stingray Projects, both funded by the US Army Tank-Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC). At iRobot, he has conducted research in mobile robot navigation and mapping, autonomous vehicles, heterogeneous mobile robot teams, robotic casualty extraction, UAV/UGV collaboration, and hybrid UAV/UGVs. Prior to joining iRobot, he conducted robotics research at the Naval Research Laboratory, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Kennedy Space Center, and the Institute for the Study of Learning and Expertise. He earned his BS in Applied Math/Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, his MS in Computer Science at the University of Rochester, and his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Case Western Reserve University.