New Test Method for Evaluating Ground Response Robot Dexterity: Touch or Aim
1. Scope
The purpose of this proposed standard test method, as a part of a suite of robotic manipulation test methods, is to quantitatively evaluate a remotely teleoperated robots capability of conducting a touch task on specified targets. This proposed standard, including its procedure and apparatuses, is specified in a way that can differentiate the proposed capability, efficiency, and/or survivability under test. As such, this proposed standard challenges the robot capability in repeatable ways to facilitate direct comparisons among different robot models as well as particular configurations of similar robot models. The suite of manipulation test methods quantifies a corresponding set of elemental capabilities necessary for ground robot response applications. Therefore, the suite should be used collectively to capture the overall manipulation capabilities. For this proposed standard, the targets are oriented at specified directions and may be embedded at the bottoms of specified pipe sections. A set of the targets may be parallel in their respective directions, omnidirectional, or normal on a cylindrical surface. Such specifications provide progressively higher levels of difficulty. Additional task difficulties are also specified via target placement: horizontally or vertically, varying heights, and varying distances from the robot starting line. The proposed standardization includes the apparatuses, task procedure, and metric. Additional test methods will be developed within the suite to fully address robot manipulation capabilities. Systems with assistive capabilities or autonomous behaviors are not specifically rewarded in the performance metrics. What will be captured is the tested capability.
Keywords
aim, C-IED, counter-IED, Emergency, human system interaction, improvised explosive device, IED, manipulation, operator control unit, OCU, remote teleoperation, responder, response, robot, robot task, test suite, touch target, urban search and rescue, US&R:
Rationale
This standard test method is to be developed to address the needs from response operations. However, it may be applicable to additional application domains. It can be used for the associated training purposes. This standard test method can provide practice tasks that exercise respective robotic control. This standard test method can also provide capability objectives for the involved subsystems on the robots.
