Learning Rock Pushability on Rough Planetary Terrain

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel navigation method for robots in unstructured terrains that uses a manipulator to push obstacles aside instead of avoiding them, aiming to improve long-term efficiency in planetary exploration.

Contribution

It presents a new framework combining visual and force feedback to assess and utilize obstacle pushability, enabling obstacle repositioning rather than avoidance in robotic navigation.

Findings

Preliminary visual estimation considers obstacle and surface characteristics.

Force feedback guides the push affordance estimation.

Approach aims to improve route efficiency for multi-agent systems.

Abstract

In the context of mobile navigation in unstructured environments, the predominant approach entails the avoidance of obstacles. The prevailing path planning algorithms are contingent upon deviating from the intended path for an indefinite duration and returning to the closest point on the route after the obstacle is left behind spatially. However, avoiding an obstacle on a path that will be used repeatedly by multiple agents can hinder long-term efficiency and lead to a lasting reliance on an active path planning system. In this study, we propose an alternative approach to mobile navigation in unstructured environments by leveraging the manipulation capabilities of a robotic manipulator mounted on top of a mobile robot. Our proposed framework integrates exteroceptive and proprioceptive feedback to assess the push affordance of obstacles, facilitating their repositioning rather than avoidance. While our preliminary visual estimation takes into account the characteristics of both the obstacle and the surface it relies on, the push affordance estimation module exploits the force feedback obtained by interacting with the obstacle via a robotic manipulator as the guidance signal. The objective of our navigation approach is to enhance the efficiency of routes utilized by multiple agents over extended periods by reducing the overall time spent by a fleet in environments where autonomous infrastructure development is imperative, such as lunar or Martian surfaces.