An experiment type focused on testing robot navigation around obstacles.
Observed Robot Usage for Obstacle Avoidance
Travel Time Usage for Obstacle Avoidance
The objective of the obstacle avoidance experiment is to demonstrate SherpaTT's ability to step over an obstacle without contact, thanks to its actively controlled suspension. For constrast, a variation of the experiment is conducted where the robot drives around the obstacle. This variation is also performed by ARTEMIS, which, due to its passive suspension, cannot step over the obstacle. Both variants are conducted only on moist and compacted soil.
The obstacle is a cuboid with variable dimensions (height, width, depth). It is placed half way between the start and finish line of the track, which has a total length of 5m. The sides of the cuboid are parallel to the ground, the start line, and the direction of the track.
In an experiment run, the robot first drives at a constant commanded speed straight up to the obstacle. The operator then issues any commands necessary to either step over or drive around the obstacle, depending on the experiment variant. After a successful avoidance maneuver, the robot continues in a straight line towards the finish, at the intially commanded speed.
The obstacle must be surpassed without making contact.