Traversing tough terrain – how SRS ground rovers safely navigate through toxic environments

Background

Specialized Robotics Solutions (SRS), located in Easton, Illinois, was established in 2021 when Nathan Wagle and Don Onken joined forces to develop autonomous robotic solutions for various outdoor activities.

The idea originated during Wagle’s senior year in college, where he was pursuing an engineering degree. At the time, he was employed by a landfill company that sought to automate the surface emission monitoring process. Wagle saw this as an opportunity to enter the robotics field and pitched the idea to local businessman Don Onken, the founder of Onken Incorporated, a major player in the oil and grease recycling industry. Wagle and Onken shared a passion for innovation and automation, making it a mutually beneficial partnership.

Today, SRS offers high-quality robotic archery targets, autonomous mowing platforms, customizable heavy load hauling solutions, and security-based applications.

The heart of SRS’s robotic platform is a 4WD autonomous rover driven by four independent 24V motors, with a battery life of up to 14 hours. The rover’s large wheelbase, available in 22 to 26-inch configurations, with tires ranging from 6 to 13 inches, makes it capable of handling any terrain. Adding a trailer or pin hitch allows the rover to carry heavy payloads of up to 1,200 pounds (about 544kg) or pull a mower for grass cutting.

The challenges faced by the team

In addition to selling the autonomous rover on its website, SRS also uses the rover for in-field services, such as monitoring surface emissions in landfills. The traditional process of monitoring surface emissions is arduous and treacherous, requiring a human to carry 50 to 60 pounds of hardware and taking 40 to 60 hours a week to complete. With SRS’s rover, the process is streamlined, automated, and safer.

Despite its capability to traverse rough terrain, SRS faced challenges in ensuring the rover’s safe operation in areas with people, vehicles, and other obstacles. The engineers tried touch sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and radar but found that these technologies were not effective in the field. Ultrasonic sensors only detected obstacles 75% of the time, and touch sensors were insufficient for field use. Radar was useful for mapping around trees and large obstacles, but it couldn’t account for moving variables.

Working with LightWare

Solution SRS explored LiDAR and tried 360-degree and 180-degree sensors from two other brands but was disappointed with their performance and functionality. The third time was the charm, as SRS found its ideal LiDAR sensor in the LightWare SF45/B, a 320-degree oscillating microLiDAR®.

According to Wagle, “The SF45/B is the best LiDAR we found for our purposes.” The quality of the LightWare LiDAR sensors was impressive, but what won SRS over was the exceptional technical support from LightWare’s engineers. The team was quick to assist with custom code whenever SRS encountered issues and exceeded their expectations at every step.

The team at SRS customized the microLiDAR® further by limiting the LiDAR’s sweeps to 45 degrees on either side, focusing only on the front of the rover, for more reliable measurements between the two front motors. The LightWare SF45/B helps SRS’s autonomous vehicles navigate around stationary and moving obstacles on any treacherous terrain.

Successful outcome

With a proven track record of success on challenging terrains, the autonomous rover from Specialized Robotic Solutions (SRS) is now poised to make an impact in the mining and gas pipeline industry. The team, led by Wagle, plans to use the rover for various applications such as surveying and monitoring. To further solidify their position in the market, SRS intends to significantly increase their fleet of gas emission monitoring rovers to cover hundreds of additional landfill sites throughout the United States.

For those seeking a reliable partner in their endeavors, LightWare offers a team of technical support engineers who view themselves as customer success engineers.