robots.ihmc.usIHMC Robotics Lab

the Lab Current Projects Nadia Humanoid Humanoid Robots as Human Avatars Exoskeleton for Improving Mobility Open Source Initative Exoskeletons for Augmenting Human Performance Dynamic Walking 2024 Dynamic Walking Conference 2024 Past Projects Quadrupedal Locomotion Cybathlon 2020 DARPA Robotics Challenge M2V2 Humanoid Learning Locomotion X1 Mina Exoskeleton 2016 Cybathlon The Grasshopper FastRunner People Jobs/Internships Contact About the Lab Current Projects Nadia Humanoid Humanoid Robots as Human Avatars Exoskeleton for Improving Mobility Open Source Initative Exoskeletons for Augmenting Human Performance Dynamic Walking 2024 Dynamic Walking Conference 2024 Past Projects Quadrupedal Locomotion Cybathlon 2020 DARPA Robotics Challenge M2V2 Humanoid Learning Locomotion X1 Mina Exoskeleton 2016 Cybathlon The Grasshopper FastRunner People Jobs/Internships Contact IHMC researchers are pushing the envelope of what is possible in the domain of robotics. We have an interdisciplinary group composed of expertise in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, human factors, and interface design. Our group has several different areas we are focusing on: Humanoid Robots and Avatars We have developed a next generation hydraulic robot called Nadia , as a way to create a new platform for research on locomotion and control, with the size, weight, speed, torque, and range of motion comparable to that of a typical human. We believe that, with the right skills, we can make humanoid robots function as human avatars and teammates . We competed and placed second in the DARPA Robotics Challenge , which was an international competition aimed at advancing ground robotic capabilities focused on disaster response. IHMC used the Boston Dynamics designed Atlas robot for the competition. We continue to do research using the Atlas robot, but our primary focus is now a NASA project for co-exploration using humanoid robots as avatars. This project uses NASA Johnson Space Center’s Valkyrie humanoid robot. Both of these projects involve humans remotely operating humanoid robots in natural and man-made environments to accomplish useful work. Exoskeletons Our research in wearable robotics has developed several variations of lower body exoskeleton devices. These devices encompass a vast array of applications including mobility assistance for spinal paraplegic injuries, strength amplification for able-bodied users, and compact resistance exercise for astronauts in space. By collaborating with other leaders in the field such as NASA Johnson Space Center, we hope to advance the state of the art in wearable robotics to be compact, light-weight, safe, and an avenue for increasing the quality of life and performance across a wide variety of challenging and critical situations. We’re also working with the Department of Energy and Sandia National Labs to develop augmentative exoskeletons that offload the weight of heavy PPE to prevent long-term biomechanical injury. Bipedal Walking A big challenge for humanoid robots is bipedal walking. IHMC has been pioneering advanced control techniques for bipedal robots to maintain balance while walking over a wide variety of terrains. While great strides have recently been made in robotics, robots still are unable to get to all the same places as people. Our humanoid projects are focused on pushing our bipedal humanoids capabilities forward to handle rough terrain without any knowledge of the environment from onboard sensors. Then, when this knowledge is included, their performance is further improved. We are also focusing on the ability to robustly handle external disturbances. Our goal is to tackle increasingly more difficult walking challenges, giving robots the ability to traverse environments they never have before. Human-Machine System Design Part of effectively developing humanoids as avatars involves developing the system to effectively work with the human operator. This involves understanding the design requirements for both the operator interface and the underlying algorithms. Our approach to this is called Coactive Design. This approach has led to the development of a very effective human avatar interface. We also apply this design approach to our unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) project. The approach enables the human to assist the UAV in navigating complex environments and avoiding obstacles. Some older projects include: DARPA Robotics Challenge Learning Locomotion Challenge M2V2 Biped FastRunner Cybathlon 2016 Additionally, we are interested in community outreach and helping the public better understand the abilities and limitations of robotics. One of the goals at IHMC is to engage in public outreach through Science Saturdays , Robotics Camps , and open house events to instill this understanding and an interest in the work that we do. We attempt to do this by introducing robots to people’s lives and inspiring the children that will become future roboticists to pursue paths that will help make sure that there is no shortage of talented scientists, researchers, and engineers ready to help develop the next great robot. Recent Publications: Reachability Aware Capture Regions with Time Adjustment and Cross-Over for Step Recovery Generating Humanoid Multi-Contact through Feasibility Visualization Humanoid path planning over rough terrain using traversability assessment Comparing the Effectiveness of Control Methodologies of a Hip-Knee-Ankle Exoskeleton During Squatting Integrable Whole-Body Orientation Coordinates for Legged Robots Quadrupedal Walking over Complex Terrain with a Quasi-Direct Drive Actuated Robot Lessons Learned from two iterations of LLAMA, an Electrically Powered, Dynamic Quadruped Robot Design of Mission-Based Traversability Assessment (MeTA) Tool for Unmanned Vehicles Team IHMC At The 2020 Cybathlon: A UserCentered Approach Towards Personal Mobility Exoskeletons A Fast, Autonomous, Bipedal Walking Behavior over Rapid Regions Proprioceptive State Estimation of Legged Robots with Kinematic Chain Modeling Towards extreme mobility humanoid resupply robots Modelling Software Architecture for Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping GPU-Accelerated Rapid Planar Region Extraction for Dynamic Behaviors on Legged Robots Design and Validation of a Cable-Driven Asymmetric Back Exosuit Time-Varying Model Predictive Control for Highly Dynamic Motions of Quadrupedal Robots MPC-based Locomotion Control of Bipedal Robots with Line-Feet Contact using Centroidal Dynamics Detecting Usable Planar Regions for Legged Robot Locomotion The Role of Interdependence in Trust Non-Linear Trajectory Optimization for Large Step-Ups: Application to the Humanoid Robot Atlas Achieving Versatile Energy Efficiency With the WANDERER Biped Robot IHMC Newsletters STEM-Talk Series Institute for Human and Machine Cognition | (850) 202-4480 | 40 S Alcaniz Street, Pensacola, Florida...