The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has upgraded its Atlas robot in preparation for the upcoming DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC).
The agency said the upgrade provides a 75-percent improvement for the robot, allowing it to walk on its own without a cable tether limiting its range, according to TechCrunch. While Atlas, created by Boston Dynamics, previously needed the cable for power, the robot now carries a battery on its back and can perform tasks for about an hour.
The lower legs and feet were the only part of the original that were re-used in the new version.
Additional improvements include a new pump system, which DARPA said allows the 6-foot-2-inch robot to be much quieter than its predecessor, and a wireless emergency stop for when it becomes too difficult to control the robot, PC Magazine reported.
Gill Pratt, program manager for the DRC, said adding a battery and new pump to Atlas will force participants in the challenge to re-think their strategies for operating the machine.
"The operator will be able to run the robot on a mid-pressure setting for most operations to save power, and then apply bursts of maximum pressure when additional force is needed," he added. "The teams are going to have to game out the right balance of force and battery life to complete the course."
Other upgrades include repositioning the robot's arms to give them more range and increasing the machine's strength with new actuators in the arms and legs, TechCrunch reported. Atlas can also now rotate its wrists, which gives it the ability to open door knobs.
The DRC finals are scheduled for June 2015, and the winning robot must be able to walk on its own and communicate with its owner over a secure wireless network, PC Magazine reported. DARPA said it will also make it difficult for Atlas to communicate with its owner at a distance so that the bot will be forced to work on its own as it would if it were in a disaster zone.
The team with the winning robot will be awarded $2 million for their work. The challenge will award $1 million for second place and $500,000 for third place.
