Dr. Lening Li

Dr. Lening Li

Reinforcement learning Optimal control Game theory Formal methods Robotics

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DARPA Robotics Challenge

WPI-CMU team with the Atlas humanoid robot
Team WPI-CMU with Boston Dynamics’ Atlas at the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals, 2015.

The DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) sought human-supervised ground robots able to execute complex tasks in dangerous, degraded environments — disaster scenarios too hazardous for a timely human response. Trials were held in December 2013 and the Finals in June 2015; see the DRC program archive.

As a member of Team WPI-CMU I designed a motion planner for arm manipulation — door opening, valve turning, tool grasping — and a human-robot interaction interface that improved operator situational awareness. The team finished 7th of 24.

Photographs

From the practice course behind the lab at WPI in the run-up to the Finals: the door task, tool grasping for the wall-cutting task, and walking trials with Atlas.

Atlas standing in the WPI Robotics lab Atlas holding a cordless drill during the wall task Atlas stepping through the door frame Overhead view of Atlas reaching for the drill on a stool Team members adjusting Atlas at the door Atlas walking on the outdoor test course with a safety operator Close-up of the Atlas torso and sensor head Atlas at the door frame, upper body Overhead view of the outdoor DRC practice course at WPI
Team WPI-CMU’s Atlas at WPI — in the lab and on the practice course.

Outcomes

  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. https://doi.org/10.1109/HUMANOIDS.2016.7803317
  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. https://doi.org/10.1109/HUMANOIDS.2015.7363436
  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. https://doi.org/10.1002/rob.21685
  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 M. Spenko, S. Buerger, & K. Iagnemma (Eds.), The DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals: Humanoid Robots to the Rescue (Vol. 121, pp. 667–684). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74666-1_17
  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 M. Spenko, S. Buerger, & K. Iagnemma (Eds.), The DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals: Humanoid Robots to the Rescue (Vol. 121, pp. 271–307). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74666-1_8
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