Survival of falling robots

Jonathan M. Cameron; Ronald C. Arkin

doi:10.1117/12.135166

14 February 1992 Survival of falling robots

Jonathan M. Cameron, Ronald C. Arkin

Proceedings Volume 1613, Mobile Robots VI; (1992) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.135166
Event: Robotics '91, 1991, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

As mobile robots are used in more uncertain and dangerous environments, it will become important to design them so that they can survive falls. In this paper, we examine a number of mechanisms and strategies that animals use to withstand these potentially catastrophic events and extend them to the design of robots. A brief survey of several aspects of how common cats survive falls provides an understanding of the issues involved in preventing traumatic injury during a falling event. After outlining situations in which robots might fall, a number of factors affecting their survival are described. From this background, several robot design guidelines are derived. These include recommendations for the physical structure of the robot as well as requirements for the robot control architecture. A control architecture is proposed based on reactive control techniques and action-oriented perception that is geared to support this form of survival behavior.

Citation Download Citation

Jonathan M. Cameron and Ronald C. Arkin "Survival of falling robots", Proc. SPIE 1613, Mobile Robots VI, (14 February 1992); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.135166

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