Real-time Digital Double Framework to Predict Collapsible Terrains for Legged Robots

Inspired by the digital twinning systems, a novel real-time digital double framework is developed to enhance robot perception of the terrain conditions. Based on the very same physical model and motion control, this work exploits the use of such simulated digital double synchronized with a real robot to capture and extract discrepancy information between the two systems, which provides high dimensional cues in multiple physical quantities to represent differences between the modelled and the real world. Soft, non-rigid terrains cause common failures in legged locomotion, whereby visual perception solely is insufficient in estimating such physical properties of terrains. We used digital double to develop the estimation of the collapsibility, which addressed this issue through physical interactions during dynamic walking. The discrepancy in sensory measurements between the real robot and its digital double are used as input of a learning-based algorithm for terrain collapsibility analysis. Although trained only in simulation, the learned model can perform collapsibility estimation successfully in both simulation and real world. Our evaluation of results showed the generalization to different scenarios and the advantages of the digital double to reliably detect nuances in ground conditions.

The Analysis of Discrete-Event System in Autonomous Package Delivery using Legged Robot and Conveyor Belt

In this paper, the supervisory control of a Discrete Event System (DES) analyses states and events to construct an autonomous package delivery system. The delivery system includes a legged robot in order to autonomously navigate uneven indoor terrain and a conveyor belt for transporting the package to the legged robot.The aim of the paper is using the theory of supervisory control of DES to supervise and control machine's state and event and ensure robots autonomously collaborate. By applying the theory, we show the collaboration of two individual robots to deliver goods in a multi-floor environment. The obtained results from the theory of supervisory control are implemented and verified in a simulation environment.