Version: Alpha 1
Open Versatile Mobility Platform (OpenVMP) is a community projected aimed at creating multi-modal mobility robots that anyone can build using off-the-shelf (or easy to manufacture) parts and open source software. All the software, bills of materials and assembly instructions will be available in this repository.
The goal is to create heavy duty robots that are operated remotely. Anyone on Earth can learn how to operate these robots in some environment (perhaps a simulated one). Once they do, they can easily operate robots remotely that belong to anyone else in the world. This way no manufacturer is slowing down the development and deployment of robotics by factoring in their profits and/or limiting target audiences.
The robots will perform tasks individually or collectively. This means that a group of robots can join forces: figuratively (each robot goes in its own direction to explore more territory) or literally (robots join their bodies to form a single bigger robot).
This is the monorepo of the OpenVMP project.
Some of the internal components are git submodules
that are also designed to be equally usable as standalone ROS2 packages
outside of OpenVMP
(unless the name of the package starts with openvmp_).
OpenVMP provides support for robots with different modes of transportation, including:
- Driving on or off-road using wheels
- Walking or crawling on four legs
- Climbing trees, poles, pipes, ropes, cables, and other near-cylindrical objects
- Climbing and driving inside pipes and tunnels
- Climbing warehouse shelving units
OpenVMP robots can use the same limbs to perform various mechanical tasks, and their true power lies in the use of extension modules (see 'Modularity' below). Single OpenVMP units can operate independently for extended periods, with software support for minimizing power usage while idle. A key use case is individual OpenVMP units temporarily leaving the collective to perform ad-hoc tasks such as reconnaissance, communication, supply, and delivery.
Multiple OpenVMP units can share resources for computation and communication, as well as mechanically join together for improved mobility. The collective performance of versatile mobility units is evident in scenarios such as:
- Climbing artificial structures (e.g., buildings, industrial complexes, complex pipes and tubes, poles, fences, barricades)
- Overcoming natural barriers (e.g., trees, ravines, small cliffs)
Each OpenVMP unit may have one or more payload modules, typically including:
-
Front and rear (interchangeable) modules:
Enables functional tasks with multipurpose or specialized tools (e.g., mechanical tools, inspection tools, liquid dispensers, defense mechanisms). These modules are expected to be hot-swappable.
-
One top module:
Enhances swarm capabilities (e.g., advanced computing units, large robotic arms, extra power supplies). This module is expected to be hardwired and not hot-swappable.
This repository contains all the software required to simulate OpenVMP units with a number of simulation worlds created specifically to demonstrate certain (but not yet all!) capabilities.
This repository also includes some of the software required to operate real OpenVMP units. The rest of the software (as well as the hardware blueprints for a number of different types of OpenVMP units that are currently being built) will also be published here soon. Stay tuned!
All materials in all OpenVMP repositories are published using the Apache 2.0 open-source license. To prevent patent trolls from making claims for minor improvements on top of the information published by OpenVMP, the claims are made about the features and inventions that have already been considered and planned by OpenVMP contributors.
See the following documents for more info: