SERVO 12.2014 19
You’d think that real robots would have a
lot to offer when it comes to assisting with the
control of a highly infectious disease, just like
you’d think that robots would have a lot to
offer when it comes to assisting with the
control of a highly radioactive nuclear power
plant. You’d be right to think that, but the
problem that we’re having now with Ebola is
the same as the problem with Fukushima: There
simply aren’t any robots that are prepared and
ready — right now — to tackle an immediate crisis, even though robots would be
immensely valuable in this situation. To attempt to rectify this, the Center for
Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR) at Texas A&M University is
partnering with the White House Office of Science and Technology and other
groups to hold a policy workshop on Safety Robotics for Ebola Workers. The goal
of the workshop will be to not just figure out what kinds of robots would be
valuable to have on-hand for future epidemics, but also to try and identify things
that the robots we have now can actually help with.
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Like a scrambling football runner,
their leg motion may sometimes
speed up or slow down in the
interest of staying upright, dealing
with obstacles and generally staying
on course to where they are going.
The process isn't always pretty, but
it's functional.
Large animals are limited by the
strength of their legs because peak
loads increase with body mass, and
they run with somewhat straighter
legs to compensate. The basic
approach large birds use to run is
similar to much smaller birds, and
remains highly efficient.
Modern robots — by contrast
— are usually built with an emphasis
on total stability which often includes
maintaining a steady gait. This can be
energy-intensive and sometimes limits
their mobility.
What robots could learn from
running birds (according to the
scientists) is that it's okay to deviate
from normal steady motions because
it doesn't necessarily mean you're
going to fall or break something.
Robotic control approaches "must
embrace a more relaxed notion of
stability, optimizing dynamics based
on key task-level priorities without
encoding an explicit preference for a
steady gait," the researchers stated in
their conclusion.
"The running robots of the
future are going to look a lot less
robotic," Hurst said."They will be
more fluid, like the biological systems
in nature. We're not necessarily trying
to copy animals, but we do want to
match their capabilities."
ROBOTS READY FOR
EPIDEMICS — NOT YET
Photo courtesy of WPI.
