Dynamically Stable Single Wheeled Robots in Human Environments

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The proposed research builds on results obtained from NSF grant IIS-0308067. The goal of the research is to gain deeper understanding of how dynamic agility can be achieved in mobile machines interacting with people and operating in normal home and workplace environments. The work utilizes and further develops a novel dynamically stable rolling machine research platform referred to as a "ballbot." In the spirit of minimalism, the machine balances and locomotes using only a single spherical wheel. This enables the machine to be tall and narrow, have a high center of mass, respond compliantly to nudges and shoves, and rapidly move in any direction. The purpose is to illuminate many of the issues surrounding the operation of agile machines in human environments; in particular the ability to traverse narrow, cluttered rooms and to function robustly in the presence of people. A key aspect of the project is to investigate the addition of a pair of dynamically significant two-degree-of-freedom arms. This will allow the development of control strategies for movement of the ballbot body by dynamic swinging of the arms. Automatic recovery from unplanned collisions with a spectrum of obstacle types as well as purposeful manipulation of the human environment, e.g., carrying unknown loads while balancing, and opening/closing drawers and doors will be investigated using only intrinsic sensing abilities. Insights will be gained toward the development of agile motive platforms that can be combined with the research community's ongoing work in perception, navigation, and cognition, to yield truly capable intelligent mobile robots for use in physical contact with people. Such robots, if realizable and economically viable, would function as aids to elderly or disabled persons; provide guidance and assistance in public spaces; help with education and entertainment; perform domestic cleaning and housekeeping; or fetch and carry everyday objects