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Lightweight Rover Unit (LRU)

The Lightweight Rover Unit (LRU) is the prototype of a mobile robot for exploration of unknown, impassable and hard to access terrain. The research work on semi-autonomy serves as preparation for future planetary exploration missions and terrestrial disaster operations.
In 2014 the LRU was presented in public for the first time.

Technical Data

Size: 114cm × 74cm × 94cm
Weight: approx. 30kg
Degrees of freedom: 12, divided among
• 4 wheel actuators
• 4 steering actuators
• 2 series-elastic joints
• 2 joints in the pan-tilt unit (camera)
Nominal payload: 5kg
Energy supply: Two battery packs (28.8V / 5Ah), >60min operating time per battery pack
Speed: 1,11m/s or 4km/h
User Interfaces: • Two battery packs (28.8 V / 5 Ah), >60 min operating time per battery pack
• Autonomous waypoint navigation to manually entered destinations
Features: • Pan-tilt unit with a black and white stereo camera and a color camera
• Balance sensor (IMU)
• FPGA-based stereo vision with 15Hz (SGM)
• 6D location estimation and 3D mapping of unknown environments (mapping)
• Automatic path planning, obstacle avoidance and terrain classification

 

System description

The LRU combines several of the latest technologies developed at the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics such as the drive and joint units, the motors of which were already proven in outer space use for five years on the International Space Station in the ROKVISS experiment. A stereo camera and multi-award winning Semi-Global-Matching stereo vision (SGM) enable the robot to perceive its surroundings in three dimensions. From this, the Rover calculates maps of the environment and then autonomously steers towards predefined targets in unknown and uneven terrain. This independent navigation is essential, since signals from the earth require several seconds or minutes making direct remote control difficult. The enhancement of the LRU with a robotic arm mounted on the system allows it to manipulate known and unknown objects. In 2015, the LRU took part in the SpaceBot Camp of the DLR Space Administration.

 

LRU - Photo Gallery

During the ROBEX demo mission space campaign that took place during June–July 2017 on Mt. Etna, Italy, we performed some Long Range Navigation Tests with the LRU.

During the ROBEX demo mission space campaign that took place during June–July 2017 on Mt. Etna, Italy, we performed some Long Range Navigation Tests with the LRU. 

Credit: DLR (CC-BY 3.0).

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Lightweight Rover Unit (LRU)

The LRU (Lightweight Rover Unit) is the prototype of a semi-autonomous robot for the exploration of the moon or Mars. It combines several of the latest technologies developed at the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics such as the drive and joint units, the motors of which were already proven in outer space use for five years on the International Space Station in the ROKVISS experiment. 

Credit: DLR (CC-BY 3.0).

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Lightweight Rover Unit (LRU)

LRU2 at Mount Etna

LRU2 at Mount Etna in 2017 (ROBEX) 

Credit: DLR (CC-BY 3.0).

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LRU2 at Mount Etna

LRU2 faces Lander

LRU2 faces Lander at Mount Etna in 2017 (ROBEX) 

Credit: DLR (CC-BY 3.0).

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LRU2 faces Lander

LRU and Toro at the ILA in 2014

The Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics presented the LRU rover and the walking robot TORO at the 2014 ILA. 

Credit: DLR (CC-BY 3.0).

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LRU and Toro at the ILA in 2014

LRU at SpaceBot Camp in 2015

LRU at SpaceBot Camp in 2015 

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LRU at SpaceBot Camp in 2015

Semi-autonomous navigation of the LRU at the ILA 2014

Semi-autonomous navigation of the LRU at the ILA 2014 

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Semi%2dautonomous navigation of the LRU at the ILA 2014

LRU without its casing with robot arm

LRU without its casing with robot arm 

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LRU without its casing with robot arm

LRU picks up a battery

After successfully locating the object, the LRU autonomously picks up the yellow battery. 

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LRU picks up a battery

LRU ascends the ramp

The LRU ascends the ramp to the red base station to mount the found objects there. 

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LRU ascends the ramp

Elevation map for navigation

Elevation map for navigation made using own movement and depth imagery 

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Elevation map for navigation

Ardea and LRU heterogeneous robot team

The heterogeneous robot team, consisting of the rover LRU and multicopter Ardea, is used to autonomously explore unknown environments. As a ground-based vehicle, the rovers' locomotion is energy-efficient and with its landing platform it serves as a mobile base to the multicopter. Due to the compact size and the ability to fly the multicopter is used in difficult terrain and even caves. Both robots have the same capability to use their optical and inertial sensors to simultaneously sense the 3D environment to avoid collisions and to create 3D Maps. Furthermore, resulting 3D maps can be exchanged between the robots and merged together. 

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Ardea and LRU heterogeneous robot team

Team photo of RMExplores!

The RMExplores! team together with two LRUs at the competition grounds 

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Team RMExplores!

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Veröffentlichungen

  • Wedler et al., "LRU - Lightweight Rover Unit", in Proc. of the Symposium on Advanced Space Technologies in Robotics and Automation (ASTRA), Netherlands, May 2015.
  • Schuster et al., "The LRU Rover for Autonomous Planetary Exploration and its Success in the SpaceBotCamp Challenge", in Proc. of the 2016 IEEE International Conference on Autonomous Robot Systems and Competitions (ICARSC), Braganca, Portugal, May 2016.
Contact
Dr.-Ing. Armin Wedler
German Aerospace Center

Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics
, Mechatronic Systems
Oberpfaffenhofen-Weßling

Tel.: +49 8153 28-1849

Fax: +49 8153 28-1134

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