The DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) sought to develop human-supervised ground robots capable of executing complex tasks in dangerous, degraded environments — addressing disaster scenarios too hazardous for timely human response. The program advanced supervised autonomy, mobility, and dexterity, targeting effective robot operation by non-expert supervisors over degraded communications. DRC Trials were held in December 2013; Finals in June 2015. More information is available on the DRC program website.

  1. Li, L., Long, X., & Gennert, M. A. (2016). Birrtopt: A combined sampling and optimizing motion planner for humanoid robots. 2016 IEEE-RAS 16th International Conference on Humanoid Robots (Humanoids), 469–476.

  2. Atkeson, C. G., Babu, B. P. W., Banerjee, N., Berenson, D., Bove, C. P., Cui, X., DeDonato, M., Du, R., Feng, S., Franklin, P., & others. (2015). No falls, no resets: Reliable humanoid behavior in the DARPA robotics challenge. 2015 IEEE-RAS 15th International Conference on Humanoid Robots (Humanoids), 623–630.

  3. DeDonato, M., Polido, F., Knoedler, K., Babu, B. P. W., Banerjee, N., Bove, C. P., Cui, X., Du, R., Franklin, P., Graff, J. P., & others. (2017). Team WPI-CMU: achieving reliable humanoid behavior in the DARPA robotics challenge. Journal of Field Robotics, 34(2), 381–399.

  4. Atkeson, C. G., Benzun, P. W. B., Banerjee, N., Berenson, D., Bove, C. P., Cui, X., DeDonato, M., Du, R., Feng, S., Franklin, P., & others. (2018). What happened at the DARPA robotics challenge finals. In The DARPA robotics challenge finals: Humanoid robots to the rescue (pp. 667–684). Springer.

  5. Atkeson, C. G., Benzun, P. W. B., Banerjee, N., Berenson, D., Bove, C. P., Cui, X., DeDonato, M., Du, R., Feng, S., Franklin, P., & others. (2018). Achieving reliable humanoid robot operations in the DARPA robotics challenge: team WPI-CMU’s approach. In The DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals: Humanoid Robots To The Rescue (pp. 271–307). Springer.