Background: robot Fedor, what are you?

On Habré several times mentioned domestic development - a robot FEDOR (Fedor). The media also writes about this robot, in most cases mentioning its different capabilities (for example, shooting from two hands) and that the robot will soon go to the ISS. Today's “Background” tells about how it was created, what it actually can, and what are its prospects.

When and who did Fedor?

The official name of the project is FEDOR (Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research). The working title at the very beginning was Avatar. The name of the project was given by Dmitry Rogozin.

This project is being implemented by the Advanced Research Foundation in cooperation with the Android Technological Research and Production Association on the request of the Russian Emergencies Ministry. The goal is to develop a system for the combined management of an anthropomorphic robotic complex when performing rescue operations.
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NGOs are not new to robotics . This organization has existed for 13 years already. During its work, the NGO produced 50 robots for private companies and government organizations. Among the customers and partners are the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Federal Security Service, the Emergencies Ministry, the Ministry of Health, the Cosmonauts Training Center for them. Gagarin, Russian Atomic Community, Rocket and Space Corporation (RKK) Energia and others. NGOs receive money from both private and government customers. The annual budget is about 500 million rubles.

Work on the creation of the system began in 2014 and continues to this day. For the first time to publish information about Fedor began in 2016.

Physically, the development center is located in Magnitogorsk, in the Alfa Center business center and several laboratories in the same city.

Fedor is created from scratch?

Not really. The basis is the previous models of robotic devices created by the Scientific and Production Association “Android Technique” by order of Roscosmos. These are the SAR-400 and SAR-401 models. Roscosmos needed an electronic-mechanical assistant for astronauts working on the ISS.

Development is carried out in two stages. The first is experimental design work. At this stage, the developers have created five technology layouts for software development.


Photo: RBC

Two layouts looked like full-fledged robots, while the other three lacked several elements - for example, the top or bottom. At the very beginning, the specialists wanted to use a hydraulic drive, but it turned out that the price was too high, and the reliability of such a system was low. Therefore, from hydraulics refused in favor of the electric drive.

How much is the project?

The developers spent about 300 million rubles, but before the completion of the project is still far away, so this is not the full amount.

What are the characteristics of a robot?

His height - 180 cm, weight - about 160 kg. Power - 13.5 kW (20 horsepower).

The robot consists of 15 thousand parts.

Software is a real-time operating system developed in St. Petersburg based on Linux.

Work offline - 1 hour, it is charged through a regular outlet.

Is the robot completely domestic development?

There is no accurate information on the percentage of domestic and foreign components for all prototype robot. Nevertheless, it is known that for one of them 50% of parts were made in Russia, the rest are assembled on special order in Japan, Germany, the USA, Switzerland and other countries. The software for the robot is based on Linux, so it is also difficult to call it exclusively Russian.


Photo: RBC

90% of electronic components for the robot are produced in Russia by various organizations, including Abris-Technology and Silicium from St. Petersburg.

Fedor manages the operator?

The first prototypes worked exclusively under the control of the operator. It has now become known that Fedor has already learned how to act autonomously, and this is a self-learning system. The robot receives information about the environment and its parameters from a variety of sensors:

• two cameras;
• thermal imager;
• microphone;
• GPS and GLONASS;
• 15 rangefinder lasers;
• special system for determining the position of your body.

Fedor is able to identify typical objects and tools and distinguishes between obstacles. All this he brings to a three-dimensional scheme of the environment. At the moment he knows how to open the door, use a drill, shoot a pistol, drive a car and quad in offline mode .


In the future, the developers plan to train the robot to independently determine the task. For example, if Fedor sees the victim during an earthquake, whose leg is pressed down by a concrete block, he will “understand” that in order to release a person, you need to remove the block and take the victim to a safe place.


Photo: RBC

In addition, the robot can operate in copying mode. In this case, the operator puts on an exoskeleton, repeating the structural features of Fedor. Well, the robot copies the movement of the operator. As far as one can understand, shooting from two hands was carried out under the control of the operator.


The operator may be located thousands of kilometers away from the robot, telemetry is transmitted via satellite communications. The operator can also control the robot in the supervisory mode - without specifying movement using the exoskeleton, but showing what needs to be done on the screen.


Photo: robo-sapiens.ru

The developers say that the operator can be a doctor, a military man, a rescuer, or any other specialist. So the robot, if necessary, can perform a variety of functions, from the study of a landfill site exposed to radiation to construction work.

According to the developers, Fedor’s electronic-mechanical base is not inferior to ATLAS , which is being developed by DARPA. But the software is not so perfect. In particular, because thousands of programmers work with ATLAS, and with Fedor - only those who are directly related to the project.

Why did the robot learn to shoot?

The developers claim that this is done only to demonstrate the capabilities of the system. To solve such tasks as aiming, choosing a goal, the ability to reduce recoil, etc. you need to develop specialized algorithms, and this is a multi-month, if not many years of work. Yes, and Fedor - not military development.

Where do Fedor plan to use?

The main scope of its application - saving lives. He will work in the territories and in buildings with chemical and radiation contamination. Now the Foundation for Advanced Research, together with Rosatom, is creating prototypes that will be able to sort radioactive waste.

Fedor has good monitoring of the hands, so that he is able to help people in the workplace. Perhaps he will be taught to help assemble other robots.

It can also be good in demining, in medicine (even now the robot can make shots and put tires on). Unfortunately, more or less subtle work is performed only under operator control.

In 2021 Fyodor will be flown in the Federation spacecraft. True, for this the developers will create a new version of the system that will meet all the requirements of the rocket and space industry. More reliable electronics, capacious battery, smaller size - all this needs to be implemented until 2021, but very little time is left.