APL Helps Army Build Self-Righting Autonomous Robots

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory have developed a software designed to enable an autonomous bomb-defusing robot to return to an right position when it flips or stumbles in the field.

APL said Friday the self-righting ability will initially support the military’s future Advanced Explosive Ordnance Disposal Robotic System.

The laboratory is working on the AEODRS under a project funded by the Navy and supported by Northrop Grumman, OpenJAUS and GuardBot.

For the self-right software, Army and APL researchers integrated a simulation-based method and adaptive algorithms to teach the AEODRS how to return to the proper position after an end-over-end or side-to-side tipping.

APL is working with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head EOD Technology Division to modify the performance of the robotic system with the new software.

The military expects to begin production of the AEODRS later in 2018.

APL and ARL are also exploring tools to identify the most relevant tests for maritime, airborne and ground-based autonomous systems.