Towards an Autonomous Heavy Lift Robot for Field Applications

The U.S. Army Human Engineering Laboratory ( HEL), in cooperation with the national Institute of standards and Technology (NIST) and martin Marietta Aero & Naval Systems (MMA&NS), has developed a test-bed to study the use of robots for materials handling in the field. In June 1990, the team completed a six-axis robot capable of lifting loads as heavy as 1800 kilograms ( kg) at distances as high as 9 meters. Also completed is a high level controller, based on an interactive hierarchial sensory control system architecture, capable of acquiring palletized loads autonomously from a simulated tractor trailer. This paper presents the current stse of both the robot and the high level controller.