What are their abilities?

Four-legged robots often take the form of robot dogs, including Boston Dynamics’ Spot. They can move quickly over difficult terrain and generally have a low center of gravity. Most quadrupedal object-handling robots have two extra arms that can lift and carry objects, giving them a total of six limbs.

However, the LocoMan robot is unique in that it can move from a quadrupedal position to a standing position and use its two front legs to move objects.

We present LocoMan, a new approach that improves the manipulative abilities of quadruped robots by integrating engineered lightweight loco-manipulators, expanding their workspace and providing precise control over complex 6D manipulation tasks.
– scientists wrote.

The key here is that the ability to manipulate objects was designed without compromising LocoMan’s maneuverability.

However, its multifunctional legs have also shown versatility in harsh environments such as indoor spaces and rocky terrain. The robot demonstrated precise and stable movements during tasks requiring “complex two-hand coordination.” This is what distinguishes LocoMan from other four-legged robots.

Its design was inspired by the “anatomy of the human hand” with custom-made loco-manipulators. use joints attached to the calves of the front legs. These leg joints are similar to human elbow and shoulder joints. They contain four compact actuators (motion control components) that provide position, velocity and torque feedback.

To make the loco-manipulators more compact, the team designed the gripper as two pairs of rotating jaws with gear engagement that allow the gripper to be opened and closed symmetrically with the help of a single motor.

LocoMan robot / Photo: Changyi Lin/Carnegie Mellon University

To seamlessly integrate the loco-manipulator into the existing frame of the quadruped robot, the joints had to be aligned and allow movement and grasping; Neither of these abilities needed to interfere with the other.

Hearing

Researchers evaluated LocoMan using real-world experiments: opening doors, inserting plugs into electrical outlets, and picking up objects from tight spaces. The team noted in the study that the robot completed all tasks and showed “extraordinary dexterity.”

LocoMan robot / Photo: Changyi Lin/Carnegie Mellon University

Our research offers a different perspective on intelligent robots. Rather than copying humans with similar morphology, we want to create a complementary robot that can do things that a human would not want to do.
said Ding Zhao, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Cornell University.

Now scientists want to test LocoMan in more complex real-world conditions and situations. They plan to add computer vision and machine learning algorithms to the robot in their future research.

Demonstration of the LocoMan robot: video