DRC-HUBO: A Better Robot For DARPA Robotics Challenge

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DRC-HUBO Is A Better Robot For DARPA Robotics Challenge

The Humanoid Robot Research Center (HUBO Lab) at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Rainbow Co., a spin-off venture company of the university, unveiled a new model of HUBO that will be entered in an international robotics competition scheduled later this year.

The competition is hosted and sponsored by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is called the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC).  The goal of the DRC is to develop robots that can perform the hazardous activities associated with disaster response.

“The DARPA Robotics Challenge(DRC) will be the biggest show in robotics this decade and will fundamentally transform our interaction with robots,” said Dr. Paul Oh, a professor in Drexel’s College of Engineering and the DRC-HUBO team leader.

KAIST's humanoid robot, HUBO, was originally created by Jun-Ho Oh, a distinguished professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, in 2004. Since then, the robot has gone through technological advancements, with the latest version of HUBO II released in 2012. With its combination of high tech and frugality, Rainbow Co. has successfully commercialized the robot as a research platform, with customers in China and Singapore.

KAIST's humanoid robot, HUBO, was originally created by Jun-Ho Oh in 2004

Over the past few years HUBO 2 has been steadily enhanced, and even became the third full-sized humanoid robot to technically run (where both feet are in the air for a fraction of a second during the running gait). According to Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Rainbow Co., the robot will perform like as shown in the video, in the disastrous situation.


DRC-HUBO: A BETTER ROBOT

In tandem with Rainbow Co., Professor Oh and his research team recently developed DRC-HUBO, which will compete as Team DRC-HUBO led by Drexel University at the DRC trials to be held in December 2013. Team DRC-HUBO is consisted of KAIST and nine US institutions.

DRC-HUBO is designed to perform difficult but essential activities required when responding to disaster scenes. The robot will have to fulfill eight tasks assigned by the DRC at the upcoming event such as driving a utility vehicle, walking across rough terrain, climbing a ladder, and using hand tools.
DRC-HUBO while climbing a ladder

DRC-HUBO while Driving a vehicle with power steering

Unlike the previous models of HUBO, DRC-HUBO boasts several distinctive, enhanced features to compete at the DRC Trials. "With a full 34 degrees of freedom (DOF), DRC-HUBO stands 4.7 ft (1.43 m) tall and weighs 120 lbs (54 kg). 
The arms have been made much longer which will allow it to switch from bipedal to quadrupedal locomotion and vice versa. The strange thing to notice is that the robot actually bends over backwards to perform this stunt (and it climbs a ladder facing away from it).

The robot bends over backwards to switch from bipedal to quadrupedal locomotion and vice versa

The HUBO 2 robot was already a technological marvel, but the DRC-HUBO seems to be a significant step up the evolutionary chain. And with such a huge team to support it, it may end up taking home the DRC's ultimate prize of $2 million.

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