Team THOR's Entry in the DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials 2013

Abstract

This paper describes the technical approach, hardware design, and software algorithms that have been used by Team THOR in the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) Trials 2013 competition. To overcome big hurdles such as a short development time and limited budget, we focused on forming modular components—in both hardware and software—to allow for efficient and cost‐effective parallel development. The hardware of THOR‐OP (Tactical Hazardous Operations Robot–Open Platform) consists of standardized, advanced actuators and structural components. These aspects allowed for efficient maintenance, quick reconfiguration, and most importantly, a relatively low build cost. We also pursued modularity in the software, which consisted of a hybrid locomotion engine, a hierarchical arm controller, and a platform‐independent remote operator interface. These modules yielded multiple control options with different levels of autonomy to suit various situations. The flexible software architecture allowed rapid development, quick migration to hardware changes, and multiple parallel control options. These systems were validated at the DRC Trials, where THOR‐OP performed well against other robots and successfully acquired finalist status.