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Military's Robot Mule Carries on Despite Fall

By Jeremy Hsu, TechNewsDaily

The four-legged LS3 robot follows soliders around, and can carry 400 pounds of equipment. Credit: Boston Dynamics

A four-legged U.S. military robot carrying 400 pounds of equipment has shown how it can play "follow the leader" in a manner similar to a trained mule or horse. Like an animal, it can also regain its feet after an accidental tumble in the woods.

The Legged Squad Support System (LS3) robot has evolved into a quieter beast compared to earlier four-legged "BigDog" or "AlphaDog" robots that sounded like runaway lawnmowers or chainsaw-armed Terminators. The latest LS3 version represents the U.S. military's best hope for a robotic helper that can carry combat loads across rough terrain for soldiers or Marines.

A new video by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency demonstrates how the robot obeys a verbal command by a human researcher: "LS3 follow tight."

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Several camera shots show the LS3 robot ambling after its human leader like an overlarge, clumsy puppy trying to keep up with an owner. At one point the robot takes a tumble and rolls almost comically down a slope before regaining its feet.

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The video also shows the robot, made by Boston Dynamics, trotting along more briskly in a manner vaguely reminiscent of high-stepping horse. The robot succeeded in navigating ditches, streams, wooded slopes and mock-urban environments during the field testing by DARPA and the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory.

U.S. Marines have already spent months working with robotic helicopters capable of delivering supplies to outposts or frontline troops. A robotic mule could serve different, if equally useful, purposes for squads on patrol.

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DARPA envisions the robot acting like a mobile recharging station for U.S. troops to recharge pounds of batteries used in radios and handheld mobile devices. The Marines have already experimented with  using renewable energy sources such as portable solar panels to replace some of the batteries they carry.

But the LS3 robot's greatest potential use comes from carrying some of the combat equipment that soldiers might normally have to carry themselves. The heavy burden of combat loads averaging close to 100 pounds per soldier has already taken a serious health toll on both active troops and returning veterans.

You can follow TechNewsDaily Senior Writer Jeremy Hsu on Twitter @jeremyhsu. Follow TechNewsDaily on Twitter @TechNewsDaily, or on Facebook.

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Squirrels, Birds Teach Robots To Deceive

Deception is something that people do all the time -- and it plays an important role in military strategy. Now some researchers are trying to figure out how to get robots to do it, by looking at the behavior of squirrels and birds.

At Georgia Tech, a team led by Ronald Arkin, a professor at the School of Interactive Computing, studied the literature on squirrels hiding their caches of acorns. Squirrels will hide their food in a certain place, but when they see other squirrels trying to steal from them, they attempt to fool the thieves by running to a false location.

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Ronald Arkin, a professor in Georgia Tech's School of Interactive Computing, and his Ph.D. student Jaeeun Shim, used that as a model for robot behavior. They programmed the robot into tricking a "predator" machine by doing what a squirrel does: showing the adversary a false location for an important resource.

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The team also looked at how other animals -– in this case, a species of bird called an Arabian babbler –- drive off predators. Babblers will make an alarm call when they see a predator and other babblers will join the bird and make more calls. They then mob the predator, all the while flapping wings and making noise. The babblers don't ever actually fight the animal they want to drive off; they just make enough noise and flap around enough that attacking a babbler seems like it isn't worth it.

Arkin and and Ph.D. student Justin Davis found that the deception works when the group reaches a certain size -- essentially, when enough backup arrives to convince the adversary that it's best to back off. Davis modeled that behavior in software using a military scenario and found that it worked even if the group didn't have the firepower to confront the enemy directly.

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The military is interested in this because a robot that can fool an opponent is a valuable tool. It could lead an enemy down a false trail or make itself look more dangerous than it actually is.

The work is an extension of similar research Arkin started in 2009, developing a kind of 'ethical governor' for robots. In 2010 he worked with Alan Wagner to develop deception algorithms using a kind of hide-and-seek game.

If robots can fool other robots – or people – that does raise interesting ethical problems. When does fooling people become dangerous? How do you tell the robot when the right time to do that is? We won't be seeing anything like the Terminator anytime soon, but we already have drones, and the military has explored the use of autonomous supply vehicles. Human Rights Watch has expressed concern over robots that can make targeting decisions -- the ability to deceive would complicate that.

via Georgia Tech

Credit: Tetra Images/Corbis

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US Navy Funds 'MacGyver' Bot

 

You remember MacGyver, right? That guy on CBS that could create a life-saving tool out of a paperclip and a rubberband? Or just about anything else lying around? Me neither, I was too young to have ever watched that show, but since I've seen a lot of pop culture references to it in my lifetime, I get the gist. The U.S. Navy is funding a project to build a robot that uses the same turning-scrap-into-tools method as the popular '80s secret agent to help trapped troops.

The robot's brain will be based on software developed by  researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Data gathered from the surrounding environment, will be combined to identify objects and decide whether they can be used to aid in a situation. For example, if the bot is trying to find a way to climb out of an area, and it sees a bunch of debris lying around, it will stack the scraps and build a way out.

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But it won't be easy. Professor Barbra Webb from the University of Edinburgh School of Informatics told the BBC, it's harder than it seems. " Vision alone is not enough to tell you if an object can support your weight or be used as a lever -- you need to interact with it physically to understand its physical possibilities."

A robot named Golem Krang is standing by, though, waiting to be the first to try it out. If it works, researchers hope to use this technology to help rescue trapped military personnel without having to endanger any other lives.

via BBC News

Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology

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RoboCops May Patrol The Future

"Part man. Part machine. All cop. The future of law enforcement." So read the original movie poster for RoboCop. While taglines like that might inspire you to break out your best movie-trailer voice-over impersonation, know that there may be some truth to your narration.

That's because researchers at Florida International University's Discovery Lab are working with Lieutenant Commander Jeremy Robins of the U.S. Navy Reserves to build patrolling, telepresent robots that could be remotely controlled.

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"We want to use telebots to give disabled military and police veterans an opportunity to serve in law enforcement," explained Robins in a university press release. "With telebots, a disabled police officer will be capable of performing many, if not most, of the functions of a normal patrol office[r] -- interacting with the community, patrolling, responding to 911 calls, issuing citations."

To manifest his vision, Robins donated $20,000 of his own money to Discovery Lab and borrowed two robots valued at $50,000 from the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC). Built under IHMC's Urban Warrior Robot program, a $2 million DARPA initiative, the two-wheeled robots will be the basis for the telecop prototypes.

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"The telebot has to look intimidating and authoritative enough so that people obey its commands -- because of course it's not the telebot telling you what to do, it's the disabled police officer controlling the telebot who's telling you what to do," Robins said, according to CNET.

"On the flip side, it has to be approachable enough so that a lost three-year-old feels comfortable coming up to the telebot and asking for help finding her mother. That's a challenging design problem, and one which I'm sure will take many iterations before we get it perfectly right."

via CNET

Credit: Florida International University

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This Robot's Got It Going On: Gotta-See Vidoes

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) funds a variety of projects for the Department of Defense. The projects range from self-driving cars to crazy space vehicles, but their mission is to prevent a "technological surprise to the U.S." 

Based on the fear of Sputnik in the 1950s, DARPA has a continuing legacy of cool science and technology projects. This walking robot is one of their more intriguing developments. At 0:27 you can see a man push the robot, but it resumes walking freely. Very advanced stuff! via Devour

Want to recommend a video? Tweet it to @Discovery_News with the hashtag #GottaSeeVideos.

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Watch Discovery Curiosity video!

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Get a Grip With the Ultimate Bomb Squad

Part of what made "The Hurt Locker" so suspenseful was its element of humanity -- that the scenarios depicted on the big screen routinely happened in real life and are carried out by real people.

Had Jeremy Renner's character been played by a robot, I don't think the movie would have been such a blockbuster. Fiction is one thing, reality is another. That alone makes the Sandia Hand worth the price of admission. The robotic hand may not leave you on the edge of your seat, but when it comes to safely dismantling improvised explosive devise (IEDs), it gets two thumbs up.

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A lack of affordability, dexterity, durability and modularity have all prevented robotic hands from being more widespread in the military's explosive ordnance disposal units.

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"Current iterations of robotic hands can cost more than $250,000. We need the flexibility and capability of a robotic hand to save human lives, and it needs to be priced for wide distribution to troops," Sandia senior manager Philip Heermann said in a press release.

Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Sandia Hand project is different because it's modular. Various types of fingers can be magnetically attached to the hand frame. The operator controls the robot with a glove, giving the hand the flexibility and dexterity needed for delicate maneuvers. Additionally, the operator can quickly attach other tools, such as flashlights, screwdrivers or cameras to the hand. Sandia's durable outer skin covers a gel-like layer similar to human tissue, giving it an advantage when grabbing objects.

Researchers at Stanford University helped develop the hardware and consulting firm LUNAR helped reduce costs. With current robotic hands on the market, each "degree of freedom" costs approximately $10,000.

"The Sandia Hand has 12 degrees of freedom, and is estimated to retail for about $800 per degree of freedom -- $10,000 total -- in low-volume production. This 90-percent cost reduction is really a breakthrough," said Carl Salisbury, lead investigator on the project.

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Heermann added:

"At this price point, the Sandia Hand has the potential to be a disruptive technology. Computers, calculators and cell phones became part of daily life and drastically changed how we do things when the price became affordable. This hand has the same potential, especially given that high-volume production can further reduce the cost."

Lest I forget to pay homage, I can't end this post without putting my fist in the air for a Bomb Squad enlisted in a different army of sorts. They may not have taken apart roadside IEDs, but they certainly dismantled some speakers in their time compliments of their explosive beats. Plus, they were "Louder Than A Bomb."

via Sandia

Credit: Sandia National Laboratories

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Nano Fiber Film Detects Landmines

According to the United Nations, there are more than 100 million active land mines buried underground in 64 countries around the world. The presence of the mines not only endangers the lives of the people that live near them, it also affects their livelihood. Acres of land that could be used for farming or infrastructure are avoided because of the potential threat of mines or improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Laying mines is usually a straightforward and easy process, but detecting and disarming them is quite another.

Current methods of detection use dogs or robots. But “...with animals, you can't switch them on and off like a machine and they are sometimes difficult to work with," said Erik Tollefsen, advisor for stockpile destruction, EOD and technology for the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining.

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Researchers from the University of Connecticut are working on a solution that involves a fluorescent nanofiberous film. The film they developed contains chemicals that detect trace levels of explosive vapors from mines underground. The idea is that the nanofilm could be rolled out over a piece of land like out a giant roll of paper towels. Because the film is so light, there would be no threat of setting off a potential mine.

After laying over the ground for about 30 minutes,the chemical sensing system is activated by an ultra-violet light to detect the organic compounds that explosives like TNT emit. The system can even sense plastic explosives like HMX, a compound used in explosives during World War II. When emissions are sensed, the fluorescent color darkens and a circle appears, identifying where the vapors are coming from.

"A UV light may be applied as a searchlight and coupled with a digital camera, so the results could be transmitted back to the control center," said Ying Wang, a scientist on the project.

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If no threat is found, the film maintains its fluorescence and doesn't get darker. The process takes minutes and is relatively cheap thanks to the thin and lightweight material than can span a large area. Engineers from UConn point out the sensor could even be incorporated into a small paper test strip for a low-cost method of detection. Further testing will be under way soon. Dr. Wang told Discovery News that a large-scale field test in Sweden is in the process. 

Credit: University of Connecticut

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Autonomous Plane Lands on Aircraft Carrier

 

Aircraft that fly autonomously, without a pilot on board or even on the ground are taking to the air. Now the U.S. Navy is pushing a robotic airplane to do something many human pilots never master: land on an aircraft carrier.

The plane is the X-47B, and it's the first aircraft that flies completely on its own. The flight took place at the Naval Air Station at Patuxent River, Md., (otherwise known as Pax River), with the plane taking a quick jaunt around Chesapeake Bay.

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Unlike the more familiar Predator drones, the X-47B doesn't need a pilot in a control room. Once programmed it will launch, complete a mission, and come back, with no input from anyone.

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The plane didn't go as fast as many unmanned aircraft currently in use –- it hit a speed of 180 knots, or about 200 miles an hour, whereas some drones hit speeds twice that. It reached an altitude of 7,500 feet and flew for 35 minutes. Such unmanned planes are going to fly a lot higher and longer once they enter service.

It's the first flight by the U.S. Navy, and the second set of test flights for the plane. The idea is to try out the aircraft systems that would be used if it were flying to and from an aircraft carrier. It also has to show it can be launched with the catapults used at sea, and land on the relatively short carrier runways. The only systems on the plane tested were the flight controls – there were no sensors or weapons on board.

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Sometime next year the Navy hopes to test it aboard a real carrier, though it will have to prove itself at Pax River first.

The X-47B, built by Northrop Grumman, made its debut last year at Edwards Air Force Base, where it made a 29-minute flight at an altitude of 5,000 feet. The aircraft was transferred to the Pax River base in June.

via: United States Navy

Credit: United States Navy

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Solar Cells Charge Robots Underwater

The ocean is a vast and mysterious place full of untapped energy potential. Huge machines have been built already to harness the power of waves and tides and groups are investigating the possibility of floating wind turbines. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is exploring another source: underwater sunlight. 

Researchers there have built photovoltaic solar cells that are able to collect sunlight down to 30 feet below the surface and convert it to electricity. The energy could be used to power sensors or autonomous research devices designed to monitor ocean environments.

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In the past, such devices have had to rely on long power cords or onboard batteries that die too fast or corrode in the salt water environment. Other sources of power include above-water solar cells built on platforms, which are cumbersome and costly.

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For this technology to work, the researchers, lead by Phil Jenkins, had to first analyze the kind of photons that were penetrating the water. 

"We first studied the spectrum of filtered sunlight underwater and then designed a cell to best match the environment," Jenkins told Discovery News. Not surprisingly, a higher percentage of blue and green wavelengths of light made it below the water's surface.

Next, they had to figure out the best kind of solar cell for the job. Previous methods of collecting sunlight penetrating underwater relied on conventional crystalline silicon or amorphous silicon solar cells, which are designed to collect the full spectrum of lightwaves from the sun. Gallium indium phosphide solar cells (GaInP), are better suited for the blue and green spectrum and work in low light conditions.

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To test the solar panels, Jenkins and his colleagues encased a gallium solar cell and a silicon solar cell in a glass sphere along with pressure sensors and a spectrometer, and then lowered it 30 feet into the ocean. The sensors measured the solar intensity and spectrum. The deeper into the water the GaInP cells went, the less interference they got from other wavelengths of light, making the collection of energy easier and more efficient.

So far, seven watts per square meter were collected from the cells at a depth of no more than 9.1 meters. This is enough energy to power a small AUV used by the laboratory for researching underwater ecosystems.

Because the solar cells work better in dark underwater conditions, solar-powered research vessels may be able to stay under longer. This isn't something that would directly affect consumers, but for scientists it's a big deal. Continuous solar power means more research time and less energy usage. And that means more time to research the ocean floor, the environment and to find even more of those creepy new species and organisms we keep hearing so much about.

via NRL

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New Drone Combines Helicopter, Airplane Flight

This week, John Brennan, Obama’s top counterterrorism adviser, went on the record for the first time ever, admitting that targeted drone killing is official U.S. policy. It wasn't surprising news. These unmanned, robotic aerial vehicles have been used many times to strike militants in Pakistan and Yemen. Because they're small and operated remotely, they reduce the cost and risk of warfare.

One of the latest drones in development is the Flexrotor, which uses an oversized propellor to take off vertically. Then, when it gets to a certain altitude, it deploys a tail and flies like an airplane. The Flexrotor isn't ready for prime time, but the company developing it, Aerovel, just received a contract for the flight control system.

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The Flexrotor is different from tilt-rotor planes, such as the V-22 Osprey, which uses two turboprop engines that can tilt from a vertical to horizontal position.

Besides being smaller, the drone can stay in the air longer, providing better surveillance at speeds of about 60 miles per hour. The oversized propeller also makes it quieter than other unmanned aerial vehicles such as the Predator.

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Another piece of the program is designing a landing pad that the drone can use without human assistance. With current drone models, soldiers sometimes have to retrieve them, and that can expose them to enemy fire. A drone that can operate without humans for extended periods mitigates that danger, so Aerovel is designing a landing pad that can also double as a maintenance bay. The Flexrotor program is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research.

Credit: Aerovel

via Office of Naval Research

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