This article presents the hardware design and software algorithms of RoboSimian, a statically stable quadrupedal robot capable of both dexterous manipulation and versatile mobility in difficult terrain. The robot has generalized limbs and hands capable of mobility and manipulation, along with almost fully hemispherical 3D sensing with passive stereo cameras. The system is semi-autonomous, enabling low-bandwidth, high latency control operated from a standard laptop. Because limbs are used for mobility and manipulation, a single unified mobile manipulation planner is used to generate autonomous behaviors, including walking, sitting, climbing, grasping, and manipulating. The remote operator interface is optimized to designate, parameterize, sequence, and preview behaviors, which are then executed by the robot. RoboSimian placed fifth in the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) Trials, demonstrating its ability to perform disaster recovery tasks in degraded human environments.

For rapidly charging battery systems to be fully realized, there must be [i] a cell chemistry with an adequate energy density that accepts high power charging without overheating and accelerated degradation, [ii] electricity sources that can supply the necessary charging power, [iii] battery pack designs that can handle the large charging currents while not drastically decreasing the mass and volumetric energy densities, and [iv] high power chargers. This study first explores the feasibility of these elements, and presents a particular design that was demonstrated on an electric motorcycle. The final system consists of four battery modules, totaling 1.6 kWatt-hours, a 10 kWatt charger, and an integrated circuit-based Battery Management System. A single module was rapidly charged to 90% capacity in 15 minutes, and all four modules connected in series were rapidly charged to 40% capacity. Future tests will rapidly charge the 4 modules to >90% capacity.