DARPA's is upgrading its Robotics Challenge, putting millions in prizes at stake. The Department of Defense's mad scientist arm also wants a running robot that can be controlled wirelessly, and to help teams meet that additional challenge, they'll be using an upgraded version of the already-amazing ATLAS robot.
PM traveled to the semi-finals of the DARPA Robotics Challenge in Miami in December 2013 and watched the humanoid robots try to drive a vehicle, climb a ladder, and perform other tasks people can do easily. The idea is to create disaster-response machines that can go into dangerous areas where humans cannot or should not go. In summer 2014, DARPA added new hurdles: It wanted the machines to operate without any wired connections or physical assistance from the humans once the mission was under way.
To meet the new challenges, teams in the DARPA Robotics Challenge are getting a new bot. ATLAS Unplugged is 75 percent new, with a 3.7-kilowatt battery to allow it to go without a power cord. It's got new arm mobility, a built-in wireless router, new wrist controls that can open doors, and upgraded pumps that enable it to be near-silent.
Using the ATLAS as a platform, the teams will have to create software that can pass a battery of tests to show the robot is field-ready. Because the machine is now wireless, they'll have to program it with energy efficiency in mind, but without sacrificing utility. There are seven teams holding over from the last challenge; we can't wait to see what they do with this 6-foot-2, 345-lb. machine.
