Invited talk: Deployment of humanoid robots for challenging tasks by Robert Griffin, IHMC

Humanoid robots have the incredible potential to do what people do, with the ability to explore both the environments designed for people as well as the unstructured natural world around us. However, we are a long way from having legged robotic systems that can fulfill this potential. Current humanoid robots are much slower and weaker than their biological counterparts, and are typically limited to contacting the world with their feet only. They also require significant operator oversight to accomplish even the simplest tasks. In this talk, I will discuss our recent advances towards humanoid robots that can explore urban environments. This will include the development of the humanoid robot, Nadia, which is a hybrid hydraulic-electric humanoid designed to have speed and power approaching that of a human. I will also discuss our progress in designing a semi-autonomous behavior framework that enables operators to quickly and efficiently direct the robot through both autonomous and tele-operative modes. Lastly, I will highlight some of the necessary algorithm improvements required for high-speed locomotion both over flat ground and uneven terrain, covering both locomotion, perception, and planning.