KAIST Team Takes Top Prize In US Robotics Challenge

A South Korean team has walked away with the top prize of US$2 million in the 2015 DARPA robotics challenge.

AsianScientist (Jun. 10, 2015) – A robotics team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has taken home the top prize of US$2 million at a robotics competition held in Pomona, California. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Robotics Challenge simulates disaster-relief operations in which robots have played an increasing role.

The DARPA Robotics Challenge saw 23 teams from the United States, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy and Hong Kong taking part. It was launched in response to a humanitarian need that arose from the Fukushima nuclear disaster, which resulted in a meltdown of its nuclear reactors after being damaged by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and the resulting tsunami.

The DARPA Robotics Challenge consists of tasks that simulate such an environment—completion of a difficult course of eight tasks relevant to disaster response—such as driving alone, walking through rubble, tripping circuit breakers, turning valves and climbing stairs.

The winning team’s robot, DRC-HUBO, is jointly developed by students and researchers from KAIST’s Humanoid Robot Research Center and Rainbow Co., a spin-off company from the institution. Standing at 5 feet 9 inches (180 cm) tall and weighing 176 pounds (80 kg), DRC-HUBO is the latest version of the HUmanoid roBOt (HUBO) series and includes several improvements.

The robot has been redesigned to be more powerful and capable, with a new walking algorithm. The joint motors have been upgraded to more powerful ones and motors that handle a higher workload are equipped with air cooling. The hands are also stronger now, enabling the robot to handle various tasks in a disaster situation. But chief among all, is its unique design that is capable of transforming into various modes, thus giving it an edge against other robots that toppled when attempting to overcome the challenges in the competition:

“It can also transform from a standing position, used for biped walking, to a kneeling pose that is meant for wheeled and fast motion. This gives the robot is uniqueness,” said Team KAIST.

Robots have been an asset to disaster-relief operations, where they can be deployed to do tasks that are too dangerous for rescue workers. In the Fukushima disaster, robots were sent into the Fukushima nuclear power plant to measure radiation levels and beam footage of the damage and radiation leak back to their operators, a task which would surely have been deadly for humans.

For Dr. Arati Prabhakar, director of DARPA, the continually improving robotic developments are a sign of hope of the greater role they can play in disaster-relief challenges:

“This is the end of the DARPA Robotics Challenge but only the beginning of a future in which robots can work alongside people to reduce the toll of disasters,” she said. “I am so proud of all the teams that participated and know that the community that the DRC has helped to catalyze will do great things in the years ahead.”

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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine; Photo: DARPA Robotics Challenge.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Leonard graduated from Monash University with a degree in communications. He enjoys reading about science and nature.

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