SegMule

Customer: DARPA
Role: Primary
Partners: University of Southern California
Duration: 2/2005 – 3/2006
Purpose: Force Multiplier
Technologies: Segway RMP 200, 2D laser scanner, panospheric camera
Capabilities: Soldier Following, Path Tracking, GPS waypoint navigation, GPS retrotraverse

Applied Perception developed a JAUS-compliant soldier following personal robot, called SegMule. The robot will be used for basic soldier logistical support, carrying packs and equipment, in moderate urban terrain. The path tracking is accomplished using a fusion of active (laser range finder) and passive (omni directional camera) sensing, which is fed into a probabilistic filter. The robot also utilizes GPS for waypoint navigation or retro traversal of a path.

Applied Perception’s responsibilities include overall system integration, development of algorithms for person-tracking using the laser, JAUS-compliance, and integration of command and control methods. The Robotics Embedded Systems Laboratory at the University of Southern California acted as a subcontractor to us and was responsible for developing algorithms for person tracking using a panospheric camera, and for development of a probabilistic filter to fuse tracking information.

In addition to the on-board semi-autonomy capabilities, we investigated naturalistic methods of command and control. In particular, we integrated verbal commands using voice recognition technology developed as part of our Soldier Universal Robot Controller (SURC) program. This enabled the operator to control SegMule with spoken commands such as “Start Following,” “Stop Following,” etc.