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Ridgeback + KUKA LBR iiwa Mobile Manipulator (Custom Build)

Introduction

This platform is a custom mobile manipulator built on a Clearpath Ridgeback omnidirectional base, with a KUKA LBR iiwa arm mounted on top via a custom ELWIX electric lift, allowing the arm to raise and lower relative to the base. This is a one-off lab build rather than an off-the-shelf product, so there is no public manufacturer documentation covering the assembly as a whole; each subsystem (Ridgeback, KUKA arm, ELWIX lift) has its own vendor documentation, but the integration is specific to this lab.

For general KUKA LBR iiwa setup, safety configuration, and FRI (Fast Robot Interface) usage that also applies to this arm, see KUKA LBR iiwa; this page should cover only what is specific to the Ridgeback-mounted, lift-equipped configuration.

What This Page Needs

This page is a placeholder structure. Populating it properly requires the documentation Clearpath provided for the Ridgeback base and the ELWIX lift integration, since no equivalent public documentation exists for this specific build. Once that documentation is available, this page should cover at minimum:

  • Ridgeback base: specs (payload, dimensions, drive system, battery/runtime, network/computer interface), power-on and shutdown procedure, and how it differs from driving/controlling the bases of the lab's other mobile robots.
  • ELWIX lift integration: how the lift is controlled (manual switch, software-controlled, or both), its travel range and load rating with the KUKA arm mounted, and any interlocks or safety behaviour when raising/lowering with the arm active.
  • Combined system safety considerations: the KUKA arm's existing safety configuration (see KUKA LBR iiwa) was set up for a fixed mounting; confirm whether the protected-space monitoring functions documented there still apply correctly when the arm's height changes with the lift, or whether a separate safety configuration is needed per lift position.
  • Power-up sequence for the combined system: what order the Ridgeback base, the lift, and the KUKA controller should be powered on and connected in.
  • Networking: how the Ridgeback's onboard computer, the KUKA controller, and any FRI-connected real-time computer are networked together for this mobile configuration, since a mobile base changes the networking setup compared with the arm's fixed-mount configuration described on the KUKA LBR iiwa page.
  • Known issues or quirks specific to this build that the team encounters during commissioning.

Next Step

Prof. Pan: please supply the ClearPath-provided documentation for this build (Ridgeback manual, ELWIX lift integration notes, and any wiring or assembly diagrams) so this page can be populated with real content rather than left as a structural placeholder. In the meantime, this page at least gives the build its own place in the wiki and cross-links it to the existing KUKA LBR iiwa safety documentation.

Migration note: this page did not exist on the original SharePoint site; the lab acquired this custom build after the original wiki migration. It is a placeholder structure only, since this is a one-off integration with no public documentation to draw on. Populate with the Clearpath-provided documentation and lab-specific commissioning notes once available.