During the ARCHE 2020 integration week, TNO and the ETH Robot System Lab (RSL) collaborated to integrate their research and development process using the Articulated Locomotion and MAnipulation (ALMA) robot. Next to the integration of software, we tested software to confirm proper implementation and development. We also captured visual and auditory data for future software development. This all resulted in the creation of multiple demo’s to show the capabilities of the teleoperation framework using the ALMA robot.
In the week of 1 July 2020, Frank Ter Haar and Nirul Hoeba traveled to Wangen an der Are (Switzerland) for an integration week with ETH. During this week we tested and integrated multiple parts of the teleoperation pipeline. Firstly, we tested the Virtual Reality (VR) pipeline with visual, auditory data and kinematic data coming directly from the ALMA robot to construct a VR robot environment. In this VR robot environment, the operator can be virtually present, perceiving the environment and also the robotic motions as being present at the robotic environment without physically being there.
Secondly, we tested and integrated several controllers for the robotic arm, hand, and locomotion mounted on the ALMA. The ALMA comprises of an ANYmal C quadruped equipped with a custom-made robotic arm (DynaArm) and a robotic hand.
The effort of both teams resulted in demo’s showing total VR environment reconstruction, autonomous standing up from standby mode, corona proof hand sanitizer distribution and handshaking using the Omega haptic device and the Haption virtuose.
Next to the fun we had, we can also look back at very successful cooperation with ETH at the ARCHE 2020 integration event.
