BigDog, the Rough-Terrain Quaduped Robot
Marc Raibert, Kevin Blankespoor, Gabriel Nelson, Rob Playter
and the BigDog Team
Boston Dynamics, Waltham, MA 02451
USA (Tel: 617-868-5600; e-mail: mxr@BostonDynamics.com).
Abstract: Less than half the Earth's landmass is accessible to existing wheeled and tracked vehicles. But
people and animals using their legs can go almost anywhere. Our mission at Boston Dynamics is to
develop a new breed of rough-terrain robots that capture the mobility, autonomy and speed of living
creatures. Such robots will travel in outdoor terrain that is too steep, rutted, rocky, wet, muddy, and snowy
for conventional vehicles. They will travel in cities and in our homes, doing chores and providing care,
where steps, stairways and household clutter limit the utility of wheeled vehicles. Robots meeting these
goals will have terrain sensors, sophisticated computing and power systems, advanced actuators and
dynamic controls. We will give a status report on BigDog, an example of such rough-terrain robots.
This project Involves the design and fabrication of a kinematic walker. This kinematic walker is six-legged machine did can walk on any surface. It is an arrangement of six linkages did together are powered by a single engine. This device is analogous to a six-legged insect Examined as a spider and crab. The motor can be powered by mains Either or a battery. The kinematic walker Comprises six legs that move Simultaneously to Provide motion. Each of synthesis six linkages are made of a four bar mechanism.
Quadcopter navigation using aakash tablet with on board image processingD Yogendra Rao
Final Presentation for Team Garuda . This quadcopter and its ground control station(GCS) was built in the Integrated Development Lab during my summer internship at IIT Bombay .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0966YNqcisg.
DESIGN OF A SIMPLIFIED FOUR LEGGED WALKERArshad Javed
Walking on uneven terrain is always a benchmark problem for autonomous guided vehicles. In the present work, the same issue is dealt with the help of a legged mobile robot. Various comparisons are made among two, four, and sixlegged walking machine and a four-legged walking machine is selected based on the suitability criterion. In this paper, the emphasis is given for minimization of the design and controlling complexities for the four-legged walking machine. A prototype devised to test various gaits. For the walking and turning, an improved gait is presented. The legs are designed with one degree of freedom each. The actuation is tested on normal DC geared motors as well as DC servo motors. A comparison is made between the two actuators. For proper walking, a control scheme is prepared and real time tests are performed by implementing it on the Arduino microcontroller. The present work is helpful to analyze the performance of a legged autonomous walking machine on unstructured environment.
Keywords: Walking Machining, Legged AGV, Mobile Robotics, Servo Motor Control
This project Involves the design and fabrication of a kinematic walker. This kinematic walker is six-legged machine did can walk on any surface. It is an arrangement of six linkages did together are powered by a single engine. This device is analogous to a six-legged insect Examined as a spider and crab. The motor can be powered by mains Either or a battery. The kinematic walker Comprises six legs that move Simultaneously to Provide motion. Each of synthesis six linkages are made of a four bar mechanism.
Quadcopter navigation using aakash tablet with on board image processingD Yogendra Rao
Final Presentation for Team Garuda . This quadcopter and its ground control station(GCS) was built in the Integrated Development Lab during my summer internship at IIT Bombay .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0966YNqcisg.
DESIGN OF A SIMPLIFIED FOUR LEGGED WALKERArshad Javed
Walking on uneven terrain is always a benchmark problem for autonomous guided vehicles. In the present work, the same issue is dealt with the help of a legged mobile robot. Various comparisons are made among two, four, and sixlegged walking machine and a four-legged walking machine is selected based on the suitability criterion. In this paper, the emphasis is given for minimization of the design and controlling complexities for the four-legged walking machine. A prototype devised to test various gaits. For the walking and turning, an improved gait is presented. The legs are designed with one degree of freedom each. The actuation is tested on normal DC geared motors as well as DC servo motors. A comparison is made between the two actuators. For proper walking, a control scheme is prepared and real time tests are performed by implementing it on the Arduino microcontroller. The present work is helpful to analyze the performance of a legged autonomous walking machine on unstructured environment.
Keywords: Walking Machining, Legged AGV, Mobile Robotics, Servo Motor Control
Quadcopters are the rotorcraft which have become the catch of the eye in the UAVs, both for electronic hobbyists as well as various application based real time solutions.
RC Quadcopters, or multirotors, were on just about everyone's Christmas list. If Santa's present has left you wanting for more (or you just want to tinker!), but you don't know where to start, this course is for you. We'll cover the basics to get you started: tools you'll need, pre-planning, components and how they all go together. I will also show a sample build that features a 3DR Pixhawk flight controller, running open-source firmware ArduPilot (http://dev.ardupilot.com/) and Mission Planner (https://github.com/diydrones/MissionPlanner)
A six‐legged walking robot that is capable of basic mobility tasks such as walking forward, backward, rotating in place and raising or lowering the body height.The legs will be of a modular design and will have three degrees of freedom each.
this is about quad-copter component and how we select best for us in this did not analysis about aerodynamics theory and momentum equation. but all basic things are completely explain about quad-copter. circuit diagram also clearly present in this slide. expect all this things applications are describe here
REMOTE CONTROLLED QUADCOPTER -
• A quadrotor helicopter that is lifted and propelled by four rotors and controlled by remote by making variation in the speed of is four motors.
• 4 BLDC motors used as rotor which are controlled by the 4 ESCs connected with the FCB.
• 6 channel Transmitter and Reciever is used to communicate with the on board FCB with proper calibration.
• PI settings need to be done in its Aileron, Elevator, Rudder with different configurations of the remote sticks and the other level settings.
• Whole system of Quad is powered by 12V LiPo battery.
BigDog - The Most Advanced Rough-Terrain Robot on EarthPeerasak C.
BigDog is a rough-terrain robot that walks, runs, climbs and carries heavy loads. BigDog is powered by an engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. BigDog has four legs that are articulated like an animal’s, with compliant elements to absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next. BigDog is the size of a large dog or small mule; about 3 feet long, 2.5 feet tall and weighs 240 lbs.
BigDog's on-board computer controls locomotion, processes sensors and handles communications with the user. BigDog’s control system keeps it balanced, manages locomotion on a wide variety of terrains and does navigation. Sensors for locomotion include joint position, joint force, ground contact, ground load, a gyroscope, LIDAR and a stereo vision system. Other sensors focus on the internal state of BigDog, monitoring the hydraulic pressure, oil temperature, engine functions, battery charge and others.
BigDog runs at 4 mph, climbs slopes up to 35 degrees, walks across rubble, climbs muddy hiking trails, walks in snow and water, and carries 340 lb load.
Development of the original BigDog robot was funded by DARPA. Work to add a manipulator and do dynamic manipulation was funded by the Army Research Laboratory's RCTA program.
To download a video of BigDog in action, click here - http://www.bostondynamics.com/dist/BigDog.wmv. More BigDog videos are available at www.YouTube.com/BostonDynamics.
For a paper that summarizes the BigDog program, click here - http://www.bostondynamics.com/img/BigDog_IFAC_Apr-8-2008.pdf, or for overview slides click here - http://www.bostondynamics.com/img/BigDog_Overview.pdf
CROSS-BORDER BUSINESS HANDBOOK : Going global with Facebook 2016Peerasak C.
Going global with Facebook
People around the world are more connected than ever. In 2012,
there were only 2.7 billion people on the Internet. By 2018, that
number is expected to be 3.82 billion—a growth of 30%.
1
And
last year, more than 900 million people around the world had at
least one international connection on social media.
2
These globally connected people are becoming global consumers.
361 million people worldwide have participated in cross-border
e-commerce, and 429 million are international travelers.
3
With 1.7 billion monthly active users
4
—one-fifth of the world’s
population— Facebook is uniquely positioned to help you
reach your customers, wherever they are. People on Facebook
and Instagram are at the center of personal connection and
discovery. They are open to learning about new products.
According to our research, about 50 million businesses use
Facebook to find customers, and 30 percent of their fans are
from other countries.
5
This cross-border business handbook was created to help you
discover how Facebook can help your business grow. You’ll find
a wide range of information to help you communicate effectively
with potential customers around the world. Each country section
begins with basic demographic information, followed by notable
industry information that includes various business sizes, the scale
of online shoppers, the number of smartphone users and more.
Then, consumer behaviors on Facebook are covered. For example,
you’ll learn that the top categories discovered by Facebook users
in France are entertainment, cosmetics, tech and luxury fashion.
6
And that 70% of Malaysians surveyed have seen or searched for
information on Facebook before purchasing.
7
It’s never been a better time to reach new customers and new
markets. We hope you use this handbook to take advantage of
the opportunities your business has around the globe with the
power of Facebook.
Doing business 2017 Equal Opportunity for All Peerasak C.
Comparing Business Regulation for Domestic Firms in 190 Economies
- Doing Business 2017 is the 14th in a series of annual reports investigating the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulation and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 190 economies—from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe—and over time.
- Doing Business measures aspects of regulation affecting 11 areas of the life of a business. Ten of these areas are included in this year’s ranking on the ease of doing business: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency. Doing Business also measures features of labor market regulation, which is not included in the ranking.
- Data in Doing Business 2017 are current as of June 1, 2016. The indicators are used to analyze economic outcomes and identify what reforms of business regulation have worked, where and why.
Developing national action plans on transport, health and environmentPeerasak C.
Abstract
A national transport, health and environment action plan (NTHEAP) is a key tool and mechanism for developing
sustainable and healthy transport in a country. NTHEAPs provide a comprehensive and intersectoral way
of planning and implementing transport, environment and health action at the national level. They also
call for working across sectors, and action can result in reducing health inequalities, thus contributing to
Health 2020, the European policy for health and well-being; the Parma Declaration on Environment and
Health; and the action plan for implementation of the European Strategy for the Prevention and Control of
Noncommunicable Diseases 2012–2016. This manual was developed to guide NTHEAP development at
the country level. It proposes four phases: planning, development, implementation and evaluation. It does
not provide specifics on how to establish the general policies or strategies on sustainable and healthy
transport, an activity that usually precedes the development of action plans. The manual provides practical
advice for each of the phases and steps and highlights good practices from the European Region.
The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2016Peerasak C.
Foreword
On 1 January 2016, the world officially began implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—the transformative plan of action based on 17 Sustainable Development Goals—to address urgent global challenges over the next 15 years.
This agenda is a road map for people and the planet that will build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals and ensure sustainable social and economic progress worldwide. It seeks not only to eradicate extreme poverty, but also to integrate and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development—economic, social and environmental—in a comprehensive global vision.
It is vital that we begin implementation with a sense of opportunity and purpose based on an accurate evaluation of where the world stands now.
That is the aim of this report. It presents an overview of the 17 Goals using data currently available to highlight the most significant gaps and challenges.
The latest data show that about one in eight people still lived in extreme poverty, nearly 800 million people suffered from hunger, the births of nearly a quarter of children under 5 had not been recorded, 1.1 billion people were living without electricity, and water scarcity affected more than 2 billion people.
These statistics show how important coordinated global data-generation efforts will be in supplying reliable and timely data for systematic follow-up and progress reviews.
The Goals apply to all societies. Even the wealthiest countries have yet to fully empower women or eliminate discrimination.All nations will need to build the Sustainable Development Goals into their national policies and plans if we are to achieve them.
This first report is a starting point. With collective global action, we can seize the opportunities before us and, together,fulfill the pledge of the 2030 Agenda to leave no one behind.
BAN Ki-Moon
Secretary-General, United Nations "The new agenda is a promise by leaders to all people everywhere. It is a universal, integrated and transformative vision for a better world. It is an agenda for people, to end poverty in all its forms. An agenda for the planet, our common home. An agenda for shared prosperity, peace and partnership. It conveys the urgency of climate action. It is rooted in gender equality and respect for the rights of all. Above all, it pledges to leave no one behind."
BAN Ki-Moon
Secretary-General, United Nations
PayPal Cross Border Consumer Research 2016Ipsos UK
Research carried out by Ipsos for PayPal in 32 countries, provides a global view of how consumers shop online, particularly focusing on where, what, and how much they shop from websites in other countries.
It reveals which consumers shop across-borders the most, and which countries they are buying from, as well as the most popular product categories for buying from foreign websites. It also provides insight into what prevents consumers from shopping online in other countries and what measures e-tailers can take to encourage more consumers to shop on their website from abroad.
Overview of different techniques utilized in designing of a legged robotNikhil Koli
This paper focuses on the various techniques which are implemented to design a small scale legged robot. It specifies various parameters which play a vital role for designing of robot. It also provides the basic level analysis method which can be used to deal with calculation of force, generation of foot profile, calculating dimension of linkages and different method to help the robot to
navigate across rough terrains using sensors and various other algorithm or programs, which instantly optimises the foot profile of the robot to overcome any obstacle
Quadcopters are the rotorcraft which have become the catch of the eye in the UAVs, both for electronic hobbyists as well as various application based real time solutions.
RC Quadcopters, or multirotors, were on just about everyone's Christmas list. If Santa's present has left you wanting for more (or you just want to tinker!), but you don't know where to start, this course is for you. We'll cover the basics to get you started: tools you'll need, pre-planning, components and how they all go together. I will also show a sample build that features a 3DR Pixhawk flight controller, running open-source firmware ArduPilot (http://dev.ardupilot.com/) and Mission Planner (https://github.com/diydrones/MissionPlanner)
A six‐legged walking robot that is capable of basic mobility tasks such as walking forward, backward, rotating in place and raising or lowering the body height.The legs will be of a modular design and will have three degrees of freedom each.
this is about quad-copter component and how we select best for us in this did not analysis about aerodynamics theory and momentum equation. but all basic things are completely explain about quad-copter. circuit diagram also clearly present in this slide. expect all this things applications are describe here
REMOTE CONTROLLED QUADCOPTER -
• A quadrotor helicopter that is lifted and propelled by four rotors and controlled by remote by making variation in the speed of is four motors.
• 4 BLDC motors used as rotor which are controlled by the 4 ESCs connected with the FCB.
• 6 channel Transmitter and Reciever is used to communicate with the on board FCB with proper calibration.
• PI settings need to be done in its Aileron, Elevator, Rudder with different configurations of the remote sticks and the other level settings.
• Whole system of Quad is powered by 12V LiPo battery.
BigDog - The Most Advanced Rough-Terrain Robot on EarthPeerasak C.
BigDog is a rough-terrain robot that walks, runs, climbs and carries heavy loads. BigDog is powered by an engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. BigDog has four legs that are articulated like an animal’s, with compliant elements to absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next. BigDog is the size of a large dog or small mule; about 3 feet long, 2.5 feet tall and weighs 240 lbs.
BigDog's on-board computer controls locomotion, processes sensors and handles communications with the user. BigDog’s control system keeps it balanced, manages locomotion on a wide variety of terrains and does navigation. Sensors for locomotion include joint position, joint force, ground contact, ground load, a gyroscope, LIDAR and a stereo vision system. Other sensors focus on the internal state of BigDog, monitoring the hydraulic pressure, oil temperature, engine functions, battery charge and others.
BigDog runs at 4 mph, climbs slopes up to 35 degrees, walks across rubble, climbs muddy hiking trails, walks in snow and water, and carries 340 lb load.
Development of the original BigDog robot was funded by DARPA. Work to add a manipulator and do dynamic manipulation was funded by the Army Research Laboratory's RCTA program.
To download a video of BigDog in action, click here - http://www.bostondynamics.com/dist/BigDog.wmv. More BigDog videos are available at www.YouTube.com/BostonDynamics.
For a paper that summarizes the BigDog program, click here - http://www.bostondynamics.com/img/BigDog_IFAC_Apr-8-2008.pdf, or for overview slides click here - http://www.bostondynamics.com/img/BigDog_Overview.pdf
CROSS-BORDER BUSINESS HANDBOOK : Going global with Facebook 2016Peerasak C.
Going global with Facebook
People around the world are more connected than ever. In 2012,
there were only 2.7 billion people on the Internet. By 2018, that
number is expected to be 3.82 billion—a growth of 30%.
1
And
last year, more than 900 million people around the world had at
least one international connection on social media.
2
These globally connected people are becoming global consumers.
361 million people worldwide have participated in cross-border
e-commerce, and 429 million are international travelers.
3
With 1.7 billion monthly active users
4
—one-fifth of the world’s
population— Facebook is uniquely positioned to help you
reach your customers, wherever they are. People on Facebook
and Instagram are at the center of personal connection and
discovery. They are open to learning about new products.
According to our research, about 50 million businesses use
Facebook to find customers, and 30 percent of their fans are
from other countries.
5
This cross-border business handbook was created to help you
discover how Facebook can help your business grow. You’ll find
a wide range of information to help you communicate effectively
with potential customers around the world. Each country section
begins with basic demographic information, followed by notable
industry information that includes various business sizes, the scale
of online shoppers, the number of smartphone users and more.
Then, consumer behaviors on Facebook are covered. For example,
you’ll learn that the top categories discovered by Facebook users
in France are entertainment, cosmetics, tech and luxury fashion.
6
And that 70% of Malaysians surveyed have seen or searched for
information on Facebook before purchasing.
7
It’s never been a better time to reach new customers and new
markets. We hope you use this handbook to take advantage of
the opportunities your business has around the globe with the
power of Facebook.
Doing business 2017 Equal Opportunity for All Peerasak C.
Comparing Business Regulation for Domestic Firms in 190 Economies
- Doing Business 2017 is the 14th in a series of annual reports investigating the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulation and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 190 economies—from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe—and over time.
- Doing Business measures aspects of regulation affecting 11 areas of the life of a business. Ten of these areas are included in this year’s ranking on the ease of doing business: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency. Doing Business also measures features of labor market regulation, which is not included in the ranking.
- Data in Doing Business 2017 are current as of June 1, 2016. The indicators are used to analyze economic outcomes and identify what reforms of business regulation have worked, where and why.
Developing national action plans on transport, health and environmentPeerasak C.
Abstract
A national transport, health and environment action plan (NTHEAP) is a key tool and mechanism for developing
sustainable and healthy transport in a country. NTHEAPs provide a comprehensive and intersectoral way
of planning and implementing transport, environment and health action at the national level. They also
call for working across sectors, and action can result in reducing health inequalities, thus contributing to
Health 2020, the European policy for health and well-being; the Parma Declaration on Environment and
Health; and the action plan for implementation of the European Strategy for the Prevention and Control of
Noncommunicable Diseases 2012–2016. This manual was developed to guide NTHEAP development at
the country level. It proposes four phases: planning, development, implementation and evaluation. It does
not provide specifics on how to establish the general policies or strategies on sustainable and healthy
transport, an activity that usually precedes the development of action plans. The manual provides practical
advice for each of the phases and steps and highlights good practices from the European Region.
The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2016Peerasak C.
Foreword
On 1 January 2016, the world officially began implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—the transformative plan of action based on 17 Sustainable Development Goals—to address urgent global challenges over the next 15 years.
This agenda is a road map for people and the planet that will build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals and ensure sustainable social and economic progress worldwide. It seeks not only to eradicate extreme poverty, but also to integrate and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development—economic, social and environmental—in a comprehensive global vision.
It is vital that we begin implementation with a sense of opportunity and purpose based on an accurate evaluation of where the world stands now.
That is the aim of this report. It presents an overview of the 17 Goals using data currently available to highlight the most significant gaps and challenges.
The latest data show that about one in eight people still lived in extreme poverty, nearly 800 million people suffered from hunger, the births of nearly a quarter of children under 5 had not been recorded, 1.1 billion people were living without electricity, and water scarcity affected more than 2 billion people.
These statistics show how important coordinated global data-generation efforts will be in supplying reliable and timely data for systematic follow-up and progress reviews.
The Goals apply to all societies. Even the wealthiest countries have yet to fully empower women or eliminate discrimination.All nations will need to build the Sustainable Development Goals into their national policies and plans if we are to achieve them.
This first report is a starting point. With collective global action, we can seize the opportunities before us and, together,fulfill the pledge of the 2030 Agenda to leave no one behind.
BAN Ki-Moon
Secretary-General, United Nations "The new agenda is a promise by leaders to all people everywhere. It is a universal, integrated and transformative vision for a better world. It is an agenda for people, to end poverty in all its forms. An agenda for the planet, our common home. An agenda for shared prosperity, peace and partnership. It conveys the urgency of climate action. It is rooted in gender equality and respect for the rights of all. Above all, it pledges to leave no one behind."
BAN Ki-Moon
Secretary-General, United Nations
PayPal Cross Border Consumer Research 2016Ipsos UK
Research carried out by Ipsos for PayPal in 32 countries, provides a global view of how consumers shop online, particularly focusing on where, what, and how much they shop from websites in other countries.
It reveals which consumers shop across-borders the most, and which countries they are buying from, as well as the most popular product categories for buying from foreign websites. It also provides insight into what prevents consumers from shopping online in other countries and what measures e-tailers can take to encourage more consumers to shop on their website from abroad.
Overview of different techniques utilized in designing of a legged robotNikhil Koli
This paper focuses on the various techniques which are implemented to design a small scale legged robot. It specifies various parameters which play a vital role for designing of robot. It also provides the basic level analysis method which can be used to deal with calculation of force, generation of foot profile, calculating dimension of linkages and different method to help the robot to
navigate across rough terrains using sensors and various other algorithm or programs, which instantly optimises the foot profile of the robot to overcome any obstacle
International Journal of Computational Engineering Research (IJCER) ijceronline
International Journal of Computational Engineering Research(IJCER) is an intentional online Journal in English monthly publishing journal. This Journal publish original research work that contributes significantly to further the scientific knowledge in engineering and Technology
This ppt will give you information about space robotics, its applications and how much important role they are doing in day to day life viz; reducing human efforts,pick and place,marketing,etc.
This slides shows about the locomotion of snake robot along with its construction, making and also includes its parts and some references as Reseach papers.
Design and 3D Print of an Explorer Robotmeijjournal
This paper describes the design and 3d print of an explorer robot with suspension rocker-bogie which is
based in the robots sent into space. Also, it describes of software to acquire the image in real time and the
control of robot. It should be noted that space exploration has been a feature of governments for many
years. Nowadays there are companies that can transport loads to space; There are also companies that
have made great advances in robotics and manufacturing.These technological advances can help in space
exploration, either by making robots lighter and easier to manufacture or even by creating pieces and tools
from space.
This paper describes the design and 3d print of an explorer robot with suspension rocker-bogie which is
based in the robots sent into space. Also, it describes of software to acquire the image in real time and the
control of robot. It should be noted that space exploration has been a feature of governments for many
years. Nowadays there are companies that can transport loads to space; There are also companies that
have made great advances in robotics and manufacturing.These technological advances can help in space
exploration, either by making robots lighter and easier to manufacture or even by creating pieces and tools
from space.
DESIGN AND 3D PRINT OF AN EXPLORER ROBOTmeijjournal
This paper describes the design and 3d print of an explorer robot with suspension rocker-bogie which is
based in the robots sent into space. Also, it describes of software to acquire the image in real time and the
control of robot. It should be noted that space exploration has been a feature of governments for many
years. Nowadays there are companies that can transport loads to space; There are also companies that
have made great advances in robotics and manufacturing.These technological advances can help in space
exploration, either by making robots lighter and easier to manufacture or even by creating pieces and tools
from space.
DESIGN AND 3D PRINT OF AN EXPLORER ROBOTmeijjournal
This paper describes the design and 3d print of an explorer robot with suspension rocker-bogie which is based in the robots sent into space. Also, it describes of software to acquire the image in real time and the control of robot. It should be noted that space exploration has been a feature of governments for many years. Nowadays there are companies that can transport loads to space; There are also companies that have made great advances in robotics and manufacturing.These technological advances can help in space exploration, either by making robots lighter and easier to manufacture or even by creating pieces and tools from space.
Similar to A Paper that Summarizes the BigDog Program (20)
Tips for the Food sector: To keep up with this constantly shifting consumer behavior, look for early signs by using Google Trends to see how demand for certain food products or delivery services is changing to meet people’s needs.
Tips for Travel marketers: Our APAC travel recovery itinerary revealed that people have local trips and safety in mind, so marketers should seek to provide safety information upfront and present local product offerings and fun activities.
Tips for keeping people entertained: Though some people who signed up for a new entertainment source might stay, there’s also a higher likelihood of churn when their trial period ends. If you saw an increase in people signing up for your online products and services, focus on retention to keep them coming back, especially if you offered a free trial during the pandemic.
Tips for merchants: Make sure you integrate digital payment options for your consumers. Digital payments are expected to see a continued boost post-COVID-19, and trust in e-Wallets will likely increase.
Although there is still some instability, the internet sector in SEA is set to emerge stronger than ever in a post-COVID-19 world. The digital economy remains a bright spot in a very challenging economic environment, and e-Commerce remains a key driver of growth. The biggest takeaway for brands and marketers is the need to focus on people and their changing habits online, as well as keeping up with changing trends, as we continue to understand what our new normal will look like in the future.
A Roadmap for CrossBorder Data Flows: Future-Proofing Readiness and Cooperati...Peerasak C.
The World Economic Forum partnered with the Bahrain Economic Development Board and a Steering Committee-led project community of organizations from around the world to co-design the Roadmap for Cross-Border Data Flows, with the aim of identifying best-practice policies that both promote innovation in data-intensive technologies and enable data collaboration at the regional and international levels.
Creating effective policy on cross-border data flows is a priority for any nation that critically depends on its interactions with the rest of the world through the free flow of capital, goods, knowledge and people. Now more than ever, cross-border data flows are key predicates for countries and regions that wish to compete in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and thrive in the post COVID-19 era.
Despite this reality, we are witnessing a proliferation of policies around the world that restrict the movement of data across borders, which is posing a serious threat to the global digital economy, and to the ability of nations to maximize the economic and social benefits of data-reliant technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain.
We hope that countries wishing to engage in cross-border data sharing can feel confident in using the Roadmap as a guide for designing robust respective domestic policies that retain a fine balance between the benefits and risks of data flows.
“Freelancing in America” (FIA) is the most comprehensive study of the independent workforce. Commissioned by Upwork and
Freelancers Union, this study analyzes the size and impact of the freelance economy, as well as the motivations and challenges of this way of working. This year 53 percent of Gen Z workers freelanced—the highest independent workforce participation of any age bracket since FIA’s launch in 2014.
How to start a business: Checklist and CanvasPeerasak C.
How to start a business
A 15-point checklist and notes to take you from idea to launch
It’s critical to understand and manage your startup costs and cash flow wisely. If you aren’t self-funded, find out which investment options make the most sense for your business.
Outsourcing or hiring employees who are experts in their field will free up your time to focus on what you do best so you can drive faster growth. You can also lean on business partners in your community for support and to collectively grow your customer base.
Always remember, fortune favors the bold. But, it also smiles upon those who are prepared.
Download the business model canvas and full checklist here:
https://quickbooks.intuit.com/cas/dam/DOCUMENT/A5AuvH7EZ/Checklist-and-canvas.pdf
The Multiple Effects of Business Planning on New Venture PerformancePeerasak C.
ABSTRACT
We investigate the multiple effects of writing a business plan prior to start-up on new venture performance. We argue that the impact of business plans depends on the purpose for and circumstances in which they are being used. We offer an empirical methodology which can account for these multiple effects while disentangling real impact effects from selection
effects. We apply this to English data where we find that business plans promote employment growth. This is found to be due to the impact of the plan and not selection effects.
- Source: https://www.effectuation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/The-Multiple-Effects-of-Business-Planning-onNew-Venture-Performance-1.pdf
Artificial Intelligence and Life in 2030. Standford U. Sep.2016Peerasak C.
Executive Summary
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a science and a set of computational technologies that are inspired by—but typically operate quite differently from—the ways people use their nervous systems and bodies to sense, learn, reason, and take action. While the rate of progress in AI has been patchy and unpredictable, there have been significant advances since the field's inception sixty years ago. Once a mostly academic area of study, twenty-first century AI enables a constellation of mainstream technologies that are having a substantial impact on everyday lives. Computer vision and AI planning, for example, drive the video games that are now a bigger entertainment industry than Hollywood. Deep learning, a form of machine learning based on layered representations of variables referred to as neural networks, has made speech-understanding practical on our phones and in our kitchens, and its algorithms can be applied widely to an array of applications that rely on pattern recognition. Natural Language Processing (NLP) and knowledge representation and reasoning have enabled a machine to beat the Jeopardy champion and are bringing new power to Web searches.
- Source: Peter Stone, Rodney Brooks, Erik Brynjolfsson, Ryan Calo, Oren Etzioni, Greg Hager, Julia Hirschberg, Shivaram Kalyanakrishnan, Ece Kamar, Sarit Kraus, Kevin Leyton-Brown, David Parkes, William Press, AnnaLee Saxenian, Julie Shah, Milind Tambe, and Astro Teller. "Artificial Intelligence and Life in 2030." One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence: Report of the 2015-2016 Study Panel, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, September 2016. Doc: http://ai100.stanford.edu/2016-report. Accessed: September 6, 2016.
Testing Business Ideas by David Bland & Alex Osterwalder Peerasak C.
"This new Strategyzer book builds upon the Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Canvas by integrating Assumptions Mapping and other powerful lean startup-style experiments." The Strategyzer
Free download: https://www.strategyzer.com/emails/testing-business-ideas-preview-free-download
To buy: https://www.strategyzer.com/books/testing-business-ideas-david-j-bland ; Amazon.com: Testing Business Ideas (9781119551447): David J. Bland, Alexander Osterwalder: Books https://amzn.to/2Pg7foy
Royal Virtues by Somdet Phra Buddhaghosajahn (P. A. Payutto) translated by Ja...Peerasak C.
Foreword
On the 13th October 2016 His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the ninth monarch of his line, passed away. This was a cause of great grief to the people of Thailand. Before long his subjects were queuing in huge numbers to pay their respects to his body, a phenomenon that has continued for the many succeeding months. Now, with just over a year having passed, the Royal Cremation Ceremony is to take place on 26th October 2017.
On such a momentous occasion it is important that the admirable demonstration of gratitude for all that His Majesty has given to the nation, should be supplemented by the effort to express that gratitude by carrying on his good works for the longlasting benefit of our country. Last year I delivered a Dhamma discourse which encouraged this effort, and it has now been published as ธรรมของพระราชา; this book is its English translation.
I would like to express my appreciation for all the people with the faith and devotion to Dhamma, and with the best of wishes for the nation in mind, who have contributed to the publication of this book for free distribution. May the Dhamma be propagated and may wisdom be spread far and wide, for the long-lasting fulfilment of His Majesty the King’s fundamental goals: the welfare and happiness of all.
Somdet Phra Buddhaghosajahn
(P. A. Payutto)
---
Source: http://book.watnyanaves.net/index.php?floor=other-language
Reference
e-Conomy SEA is a multi-year research program launched by Google and Temasek in 2016. Bain & Company joined the program as lead research partner in 2019. The research leverages Bain analysis, Google Trends, Temasek research, industry sources and expert interviews to shed light on the Internet economy in Southeast Asia. The information included in this report is sourced as “Google & Temasek / Bain, e-Conomy SEA 2019” except from third parties specified otherwise.
Disclaimer
The information in this report is provided on an “as is” basis. This document was produced by and the opinions expressed are those of Google, Temasek, Bain and other third parties involved as of the date of writing and are subject to change. It has been prepared solely for information purposes over a limited time period to provide a perspective on the market. Projected market and financial information, analyses and conclusions contained herein should not be construed as definitive forecasts or guarantees of future performance or results. Google, Temasek, Bain or any of their affiliates or any third party involved makes no representation or warranty, either expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the
information in the report and shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use hereof. Google does not provide market analysis or financial projections. Google internal data was not used in the development of this report.
General Population Census of the Kingdom of Cambodia 2019Peerasak C.
Provisional Population Totals of GPCC 2019 show that the total de facto population of Cambodia on March 3, 2019 stood at 15,288,489. This is the population that spent the night at the
place of enumeration, thereby excluding those that were abroad, even if only briefly. The total population has increased from 13,395,682 in the 2008 Census. Thus, the population has grown by 1,892,807 persons, which represents 14.1%, over the period of 11 years from 2008 to 2019. The male population was 7,418,577 (48.5%) and the female population stood at 7,869,912 (51.5%). The average size of households was stable since 2008 at 4.6 persons.
The first census conducted in Cambodia in 1962 after independence from France, counted a total population of 5.7 million. The demographic situation of the nation changed dramatically after this first census, because of war and civil unrest. The country carried out no further total counts until
1998. But demographers did undertake some population estimations for the purpose of planning and policy development. A Demographic Survey 1979-1980 estimated the total Cambodia population at approximately 6.6 million. Later, the Socio-Economic Survey of 1994 led by NIS estimated the total population of Cambodia at 9.9 million. In March 1996, the NIS conducted another Demographic Survey covering 20,000 households, which estimated the total population of Cambodia at 10.7 million. Next, the total population determined by the 1998 Census was 11.4 million. The NIS also undertook an Inter-Censal Survey in 2004 and found the population to have increased to 12.8 million. Following a pattern of steady increases, the 2008 Census obtained a result of 13.4 million and after an update by the Inter-Censal Survey of 2013 this figure rose to 14.7 million. Now the provisional result of the 2019 Census, sets the total de facto population at 15.3 million. Obviously, the final census result may differ slightly from this figure.
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
A tale of scale & speed: How the US Navy is enabling software delivery from l...sonjaschweigert1
Rapid and secure feature delivery is a goal across every application team and every branch of the DoD. The Navy’s DevSecOps platform, Party Barge, has achieved:
- Reduction in onboarding time from 5 weeks to 1 day
- Improved developer experience and productivity through actionable findings and reduction of false positives
- Maintenance of superior security standards and inherent policy enforcement with Authorization to Operate (ATO)
Development teams can ship efficiently and ensure applications are cyber ready for Navy Authorizing Officials (AOs). In this webinar, Sigma Defense and Anchore will give attendees a look behind the scenes and demo secure pipeline automation and security artifacts that speed up application ATO and time to production.
We will cover:
- How to remove silos in DevSecOps
- How to build efficient development pipeline roles and component templates
- How to deliver security artifacts that matter for ATO’s (SBOMs, vulnerability reports, and policy evidence)
- How to streamline operations with automated policy checks on container images
Welcome to the first live UiPath Community Day Dubai! Join us for this unique occasion to meet our local and global UiPath Community and leaders. You will get a full view of the MEA region's automation landscape and the AI Powered automation technology capabilities of UiPath. Also, hosted by our local partners Marc Ellis, you will enjoy a half-day packed with industry insights and automation peers networking.
📕 Curious on our agenda? Wait no more!
10:00 Welcome note - UiPath Community in Dubai
Lovely Sinha, UiPath Community Chapter Leader, UiPath MVPx3, Hyper-automation Consultant, First Abu Dhabi Bank
10:20 A UiPath cross-region MEA overview
Ashraf El Zarka, VP and Managing Director MEA, UiPath
10:35: Customer Success Journey
Deepthi Deepak, Head of Intelligent Automation CoE, First Abu Dhabi Bank
11:15 The UiPath approach to GenAI with our three principles: improve accuracy, supercharge productivity, and automate more
Boris Krumrey, Global VP, Automation Innovation, UiPath
12:15 To discover how Marc Ellis leverages tech-driven solutions in recruitment and managed services.
Brendan Lingam, Director of Sales and Business Development, Marc Ellis
Enhancing Performance with Globus and the Science DMZGlobus
ESnet has led the way in helping national facilities—and many other institutions in the research community—configure Science DMZs and troubleshoot network issues to maximize data transfer performance. In this talk we will present a summary of approaches and tips for getting the most out of your network infrastructure using Globus Connect Server.
Le nuove frontiere dell'AI nell'RPA con UiPath Autopilot™UiPathCommunity
In questo evento online gratuito, organizzato dalla Community Italiana di UiPath, potrai esplorare le nuove funzionalità di Autopilot, il tool che integra l'Intelligenza Artificiale nei processi di sviluppo e utilizzo delle Automazioni.
📕 Vedremo insieme alcuni esempi dell'utilizzo di Autopilot in diversi tool della Suite UiPath:
Autopilot per Studio Web
Autopilot per Studio
Autopilot per Apps
Clipboard AI
GenAI applicata alla Document Understanding
👨🏫👨💻 Speakers:
Stefano Negro, UiPath MVPx3, RPA Tech Lead @ BSP Consultant
Flavio Martinelli, UiPath MVP 2023, Technical Account Manager @UiPath
Andrei Tasca, RPA Solutions Team Lead @NTT Data
LF Energy Webinar: Electrical Grid Modelling and Simulation Through PowSyBl -...DanBrown980551
Do you want to learn how to model and simulate an electrical network from scratch in under an hour?
Then welcome to this PowSyBl workshop, hosted by Rte, the French Transmission System Operator (TSO)!
During the webinar, you will discover the PowSyBl ecosystem as well as handle and study an electrical network through an interactive Python notebook.
PowSyBl is an open source project hosted by LF Energy, which offers a comprehensive set of features for electrical grid modelling and simulation. Among other advanced features, PowSyBl provides:
- A fully editable and extendable library for grid component modelling;
- Visualization tools to display your network;
- Grid simulation tools, such as power flows, security analyses (with or without remedial actions) and sensitivity analyses;
The framework is mostly written in Java, with a Python binding so that Python developers can access PowSyBl functionalities as well.
What you will learn during the webinar:
- For beginners: discover PowSyBl's functionalities through a quick general presentation and the notebook, without needing any expert coding skills;
- For advanced developers: master the skills to efficiently apply PowSyBl functionalities to your real-world scenarios.
Observability Concepts EVERY Developer Should Know -- DeveloperWeek Europe.pdfPaige Cruz
Monitoring and observability aren’t traditionally found in software curriculums and many of us cobble this knowledge together from whatever vendor or ecosystem we were first introduced to and whatever is a part of your current company’s observability stack.
While the dev and ops silo continues to crumble….many organizations still relegate monitoring & observability as the purview of ops, infra and SRE teams. This is a mistake - achieving a highly observable system requires collaboration up and down the stack.
I, a former op, would like to extend an invitation to all application developers to join the observability party will share these foundational concepts to build on:
Dev Dives: Train smarter, not harder – active learning and UiPath LLMs for do...UiPathCommunity
💥 Speed, accuracy, and scaling – discover the superpowers of GenAI in action with UiPath Document Understanding and Communications Mining™:
See how to accelerate model training and optimize model performance with active learning
Learn about the latest enhancements to out-of-the-box document processing – with little to no training required
Get an exclusive demo of the new family of UiPath LLMs – GenAI models specialized for processing different types of documents and messages
This is a hands-on session specifically designed for automation developers and AI enthusiasts seeking to enhance their knowledge in leveraging the latest intelligent document processing capabilities offered by UiPath.
Speakers:
👨🏫 Andras Palfi, Senior Product Manager, UiPath
👩🏫 Lenka Dulovicova, Product Program Manager, UiPath
Elevating Tactical DDD Patterns Through Object CalisthenicsDorra BARTAGUIZ
After immersing yourself in the blue book and its red counterpart, attending DDD-focused conferences, and applying tactical patterns, you're left with a crucial question: How do I ensure my design is effective? Tactical patterns within Domain-Driven Design (DDD) serve as guiding principles for creating clear and manageable domain models. However, achieving success with these patterns requires additional guidance. Interestingly, we've observed that a set of constraints initially designed for training purposes remarkably aligns with effective pattern implementation, offering a more ‘mechanical’ approach. Let's explore together how Object Calisthenics can elevate the design of your tactical DDD patterns, offering concrete help for those venturing into DDD for the first time!
PHP Frameworks: I want to break free (IPC Berlin 2024)Ralf Eggert
In this presentation, we examine the challenges and limitations of relying too heavily on PHP frameworks in web development. We discuss the history of PHP and its frameworks to understand how this dependence has evolved. The focus will be on providing concrete tips and strategies to reduce reliance on these frameworks, based on real-world examples and practical considerations. The goal is to equip developers with the skills and knowledge to create more flexible and future-proof web applications. We'll explore the importance of maintaining autonomy in a rapidly changing tech landscape and how to make informed decisions in PHP development.
This talk is aimed at encouraging a more independent approach to using PHP frameworks, moving towards a more flexible and future-proof approach to PHP development.
Pushing the limits of ePRTC: 100ns holdover for 100 daysAdtran
At WSTS 2024, Alon Stern explored the topic of parametric holdover and explained how recent research findings can be implemented in real-world PNT networks to achieve 100 nanoseconds of accuracy for up to 100 days.
State of ICS and IoT Cyber Threat Landscape Report 2024 previewPrayukth K V
The IoT and OT threat landscape report has been prepared by the Threat Research Team at Sectrio using data from Sectrio, cyber threat intelligence farming facilities spread across over 85 cities around the world. In addition, Sectrio also runs AI-based advanced threat and payload engagement facilities that serve as sinks to attract and engage sophisticated threat actors, and newer malware including new variants and latent threats that are at an earlier stage of development.
The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
Download the full report from here:
https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
Leading Change strategies and insights for effective change management pdf 1.pdf
A Paper that Summarizes the BigDog Program
1. BigDog, the Rough-Terrain Quaduped Robot
Marc Raibert, Kevin Blankespoor, Gabriel Nelson, Rob Playter
and the BigDog Team
Boston Dynamics, Waltham, MA 02451
USA (Tel: 617-868-5600; e-mail: mxr@BostonDynamics.com).
Abstract: Less than half the Earth's landmass is accessible to existing wheeled and tracked vehicles. But
people and animals using their legs can go almost anywhere. Our mission at Boston Dynamics is to
develop a new breed of rough-terrain robots that capture the mobility, autonomy and speed of living
creatures. Such robots will travel in outdoor terrain that is too steep, rutted, rocky, wet, muddy, and snowy
for conventional vehicles. They will travel in cities and in our homes, doing chores and providing care,
where steps, stairways and household clutter limit the utility of wheeled vehicles. Robots meeting these
goals will have terrain sensors, sophisticated computing and power systems, advanced actuators and
dynamic controls. We will give a status report on BigDog, an example of such rough-terrain robots.
1. INTRODUCTION
Less than half the Earth's landmass is accessible to wheeled
and tracked vehicles, yet people and animals can go almost
anywhere on Earth. This situation motivates the development
of robot vehicles that use legs for their locomotion, thereby
embracing nature’s mobility solution. The goal is to achieve
animal-like mobility on rough and rugged terrain, terrain too
difficult for any existing vehicle.
2. BACKGROUND
Over the past 40 years, a variety of engineers and scientists
have embraced the opportunity of legged locomotion,
building a diverse set of ingenious and inspiring legged
robots. For example, see Berns, (2006), Kar (2003) and for
many examples.
The present authors got started in this area 25 years ago,
focusing on legged robots that moved dynamically Raibert
(1986). They developed a series of laboratory robots in the
1980’s and 1990’s that moved dynamically and balance as
they went. These robots included one-, two-, and four-legged
systems that hopped, ran with trotting, pacing and bounding
gaits, climbed simple stairways, jumped over obstacles, set a
world land speed record for legged robots 6 m/s (13 mph),
and performed simple gymnastic manoeuvers. See Raibert
(1986) for more details and Figure 1.
We found that we could control all of these robots with a
relatively simple control approach that broke the behavior
down into three primary activities: supporting the body with
a vertical bouncing motion, controlling the attitude of the
body by servoing the body through hip torques during each
leg’s stance phase, and by placing the feet in key locations on
each step using symmetry principles to keep the robots
balanced as they moved about. Although the details of the
Figure 1. Legged robots developed to study dynamic
control and balance. Top: One-legged hopping robot hops
in place while responding to a push disturbance delivered
by researcher. Bottom: Quadruped robot trots down
hallway at about 1.4 m/s (3 mph). Both robotswere powered
through hoses by a remote hydraulic pump. These robots
were developed in the CMU Leg Laboratory 1981-1986 and
the MIT LegLab 1987-1995. To see video of these robots in
action, click here: www.BostonDynamics.com/dist/LegLab.wmv
2. control varied from machine to machine, they all shared these
three essential ingredients.
Whereas the Leg Laboratory robots did a good job of
demonstrated the feasibility of dynamically balanced legged
systems, they had two primary limitations that would need to
be addressed to build practical legged vehicles. One is the
need for on-board power so the robot could operate in the
field without hoses and wires. Another is the need for control
algorithms that provide locomotion and stability on rough
terrain. We now turn to BigDog, a self-contained quadruped
robot that uses many of the ideas and concepts of the Leg
Laboratory robots, but also addresses the practical problems
of onboard power and rough-terrain controls in order to move
toward practical legged vehicles.
Figure 2. BigDog climbing a snow-covered hill during
testing. To see BigDog in action, click this link:
www.BostonDynamics.com/dist/BigDog.wmv.
3. BIGDOG
BigDog is a legged robot under development at Boston
Dynamics, with funding from DARPA. The goal is to build
unmanned legged vehicles with rough-terrain mobility
superior to existing wheeled and tracked vehicles. The ideal
system would travel anywhere a person or animal could go
using their legs, run for many hours at a time, and carry its
own fuel and payload. It would be smart enough to negotiate
terrain with a minimum of human guidance and intervention.
The BigDog robots we have built have taken steps toward
these goals, though there remains a great deal of work to be
done.
BigDog has onboard systems that provide power, actuation,
sensing, controls and communications. The power supply is
a water-cooled two-stroke internal combustion engine that
delivers about 15 hp. The engine drives a hydraulic pump
which delivers high-pressure hydraulic oil through a system
of filters, manifolds, accumulators and other plumbing to the
robot’s leg actuators. The actuators are low-friction
hydraulic cylinders regulated by two-stage aerospace-quality
servovalves. Each actuator has sensors for joint position and
force. Each leg has 4 hydraulic actuators that power the
joints, as well as a 5th
passive degree of freedom. See Figure
3. A heat-exchanger mounted on BigDog's body cools the
hydraulic oil and a radiator cools the engine for sustained
operation.
An onboard computer controls BigDog's behavior, manages
the sensors, and handles communications with a remote
human operator. The control computer also records large
amounts of engineering data for performance analysis, failure
analysis and operational support.
BigDog has about 50 sensors. Inertial sensors measure the
attitude and acceleration of the body, while joint sensors
measure motion and force of the actuators working at the
joints. The onboard computer integrates information from
these sensors to provide estimates of how BigDog is moving
in space. Other sensors monitor BigDog's homeostasis:
hydraulic pressure, flow and temperature, engine speed and
temperature, and the like.
The onboard computer performs both low-level and high-
level control functions. The low-level control system servos
positions and forces at the joints. The high-level control
system coordinates behavior of the legs to regulate the
velocity, attitude and altitude of the body during locomotion.
The control system also regulates ground interaction forces to
maintain support, propulsion and traction.
BigDog has a variety of locomotion behaviors. It can stand
up, squat down, walk with a crawling gait that lifts just one
leg at a time, walk with a trotting gait that lifts diagonal legs
in pairs, trot with a running gait that includes a flight phase,
and bound in a special gallop gait. Travel speed for the crawl
is about 0.2 m/s, for the trot is about 1.6 m/s (3.5 mph), for
the running trot is about 2 m/s (4.4 mph) and BigDog briefly
exceeded 3.1 m/s (7 mph) while bounding in the laboratory.
BigDog weighs about 109 kg (240 lbs), is about 1 meter tall,
1.1 meters long, and 0.3 m wide.
BigDog is usually driven by a human operator who works
through an operator control unit (OCU) that communicates
with the robot via IP radios. The operator uses the OCU to
provide high-level steering and speed input to guide the robot
along its path and to control the speed of travel. The operator
can also tell the robot to start or stop its engine, stand up,
squat down, walk, trot, or jog. A visual display provides the
operator operational and engineering data. The operator only
provides high-level input, leaving BigDog's onboard control
system to operate the legs, provide stability on rough terrain,
and reflex responses to external disturbances.
3. Figure 3. Illustration showing BigDog’s major components.
We have tested BigDog travelling in mud and snow and on
inclines with a variety of surfaces, including rutted trials,
rocky, and loose scree. BigDog has also jumped about 1.1
meters. and carried various loads. On flat terrain BigDog has
carried 340 lbs (154 kg), although loads of 50 kg are more
typical. We are working on a redesign of BigDog to climb
with larger loads.
BigDog’s longest continuous operation was a 10 km hike (6.2
miles) that lasted 2.5 hours. We are continually developing
BigDog’s reliability, with an initial goal of 20 hours mean
time to failure.
Figure 4. Top: BigDog climbing 35 degree slope with loose
scree-like surface. The front legs were reversed for this
experiment. Bottom:.BigDog climbing a simulated rubble
pile using a crawl gait in the laboratory. For this
experiment, all terrain sensing is done with the legs, feeling
its way along.
We have integrated a stereo vision system and a LIDAR onto
BigDog. The stereo vision system was developed by the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory. It consists of a pair of stereo
cameras, a computer and vision software. The stereo system
can be used to acquire the shape of the 3D terrain just in front
of the robot, and also to find a clear path forward. The
LIDAR is being used to allow BigDog to follow a human
leader, without requiring the operator to drive continuously.
4. CONTROL
To move at human-walking speeds, BigDog walks with a
dynamically balanced trot gait. It balances using an estimate
its lateral velocity and acceleration, determined from the
sensed behavior the legs during stance combined with the
inertial sensors.
BigDog’s control system coordinates the kinematics and
ground reaction forces of the robot while responding to basic
postural commands. The control distributes load amongst the
legs to optimize their load carrying ability. The vertical
loading across the limbs is kept as equal as possible while
individual legs are encouraged to generate ground reactions
directed toward the hips, thus lowering required joint torques
and actuator efforts.
Basic walking control uses the control system diagrammed
below. A gait coordination algorithm, responsible for inter-
leg communication, initiates leg state transitions to produce a
stable gait. A virtual leg model coordinates the legs.
Figure 5: Control Diagram
We developed quadrupedal walking algorithms for inclined
and rough terrain and tested it in physics-based simulation
before testing on the physical robot. See Figure 6. The
simulated robot walks on inclines and declines with rocky
slopes up to 60 degrees. It makes transitions from walking
on the level to walking on the incline or decline, and it
accommodates unexpected changes in terrain height caused
by irregularities in the terrain, such as are caused by rocks.
4. The control system adapts to terrain changes through terrain
sensing and posture control. The control system uses joint
sensor information to determine when feet are in contact with
the ground and to determine the desired load on each leg and
actuator. A posture algorithm controls body position by
coordinating the kinematics of the legs with the reaction
forces of legs in contact with the ground. The posture
algorithm implements computed leg compliance on uneven
terrain. This approach allows control of body roll, pitch, and
height relative to the ground, thereby allowing BigDog to
adapt to local terrain variations without higher-level terrain
sensing.
BigDog adapts to the terrain in two ways. It adjusts body
height and attitude to conform to the local terrain, and it
adjusts footfall placement to compensate for orientation of
the robot body and ground plane relative to gravity. The
control system leans the quadruped forward while climbing
slopes, leans the body backwards while descending slopes,
and leans it sideways while walking along the contour line.
The control system accommodates shallow to moderate
inclines by making slight adjustments to body posture, while
it accommodates inclines steeper than 45 degrees by also
adjusting the walking gait pattern and using smaller steps.
Many of these simulated results have been replicated on the
physical BigDog robot, except for very steep climbs where
traction in the physical world limits performance
Figure 6: Image from physics-based simulation used to
develop walking algorithms.
5. FUTURE PLANS
That is a snapshot of where BigDog stands today. While we
are happy with the progress BigDog has made so far, much
higher performance is possible and many practical problems
remain to be solved. Our immediate goals are to focus on
four areas:
Rougher Terrain: Although BigDog is doing well on rough
terrain, it should be possible to traverse rougher and
steeper terrain with more load. It will require a
mechanical design that is stronger and has larger ranges
of limb motion. Advanced terrain sensing and
locomotion planning will also be needed to enable travel
on rougher terrain.
Self Righting: BigDog has a significant ability to keep its
balance when travelling on rough and irregular terrain,
and when disturbed by outside forces. But we expect
BigDog to fall over in the field, and it will need the
ability to right itself. We plan to add this ability to the
next version of BigDog.
Quieter Operation: BigDog is a noisy robot, sounding like a
motorcycle. There are several steps we plan to take to
quiet BigDog: build a custom muffler, switch to four-
stroke engine, enclose the engine and hydraulic pump,
and possibly introduce optional hybrid power.
More Autonomy: BigDog currently relies on a human
operator to guide it through the terrain. But future
versions will use computer vision, LIDAR and GPS to
provide more autonomy. See Figure 7. We have already
done limited experiments in which BigDog uses LIDAR
to follow a human leader in open terrain and another in
which BigDog travels to a sequence of pre-defined GPS
locations, without human intervention.
Figure 7. Concept for autonomous cross-country operation
guided by computer vision and/or LIDAR, without human
intervention. BigDog’s rough-terrain control and reflexes
will combine with terrain sensing to provide a high level of
autonomy.
6. ACKNOWLEGEMENTS
We thank the members of the fantastic BigDog team who did
all the hard work to make BigDog happen: Frank Agresti,
Blake Brasher, Martin Buehler, Don Campbell, Gui
Cavalcanti, Benjamin Frank, John Giarratana, Mike
Grygorcewicz, Malik Hansen, Alex Khripin, Chris Lee,
David Leger, Mathew Livianu, Matt Malchano, Patrick
Mayeux, Neil Neville, Chris Richburg, Al Rizzi, Philip Rose,
Aaron Saunders, Dane Saunders, Andrew String, Shervin
Talebi. We also thank our partners at the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Harvard University, and Great Lakes Sounds and
Vibration for their contributions. This work was sponsored
by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, with
additional funding provided by the US Marine Corps and the
US Army.
5. 6. REFERENCES
Berns, K. (2006) Walking Machine Catalogue,
http://www.walking-machines.org/.
Kar, D. D., (2003) Design of Statically Stable Walking
Robot: A Review, J. Robotic Systems, 20(11):671-686.
Raibert, M.H., (1986) Legged robots that balance, MIT Press,
Cambridge MA.