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LS3 prototype. Photo: DARPA
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Today's dismounted warfighter can
be saddled with more than 100 lbs of gear, resulting in physical strain,
fatigue, and degraded performance. Reducing the load on dismounted warfighters
has become a major point of emphasis for defense research and development,
because the increasing weight of individual equipment has a negative impact on
warfighter readiness. The Army has identified physical overburden as one of its
top five science and technology challenges. To help alleviate physical weight
on troops, DARPA is developing a highly mobile, semi-autonomous legged robot,
the Legged Squad Support System (LS3), to integrate with a squad of marines or
soldiers.
Recently the LS3 prototype
underwent its first outdoor exercise, demonstrating the ability to follow a
person using its "eyes"—sensors that allow the robot to distinguish between
trees, rocks, terrain obstacles, and people. Over the course of the next 18
months, DARPA plans to complete development of and refine key capabilities to
ensure LS3 is able to support dismounted squads of warfighters.
Features to be tested and
validated include the ability to carry 400 lbs on a 20-mile trek in 24-hours
without being refueled, and refinement of LS3's vision sensors to track a
specific individual or object, observe obstacles in its path and to autonomously
make course corrections as needed. Also planned is the addition of "hearing"
technology, enabling squad members to speak commands to LS3 such as "stop," "sit," or "come here." The robot also serves as a mobile auxiliary power
source—troops may recharge batteries for radios and handheld devices while on
patrol.
DARPA seeks to demonstrate that
an LS3 can carry a considerable load from dismounted squad members, follow them
through rugged terrain, and interact with them in a natural way, similar to the
way a trained animal and its handler interact.
"If successful, this could
provide real value to a squad while addressing the military's concern for
unburdening troops," said Army Lt. Col. Joe Hitt, DARPA program manager. "LS3
seeks to have the responsiveness of a trained animal and the carrying capacity
of a mule."
The 18-month platform-refinement
test cycle, with Marine and Army involvement, kicks off this summer. The tests
culminate in a planned capstone exercise where LS3 will embed with Marines
conducting field exercises.
LS3 is based on mobility
technology advanced by DARPA’s Big Dog technology demonstrator, as well other
DARPA robotics programs which developed the perception technology for LS3’s "eyes" and planned "ears."
The DARPA LS3 performer is Boston
Dynamics of Waltham, Mass.
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