Husky A200 UGV User Manual

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HUSKY

UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE

USER MANUAL

CONTENTS
1 Introduction

1.1 What’s Included . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.2 What’s Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.3 Expansions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2 The Basics

2.1 Status Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.2 Orientation References

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.3 Pinout Refrences
3 System Specifications

3.1 Vehicle Equations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 Safety

9
10

4.1 General Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.2 E-Stop and Lockout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.3 Electrical System

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.4 Lifting and transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.5 Performance Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5 Getting Started

5.1 Onboard PC Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.2 Connecting the Onboard PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.3 Remote PC

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.4 Connecting Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.5 User Bay Power Connections

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.6 Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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6 Using ROS

6.1 Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6.2 Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6.3 Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6.4 Payloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7 Battery and Maintenance

7.1 Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7.2 Battery Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7.3 Wheels

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7.4 Chassis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8 Tips and Troubleshooting

8.1 Mechanical Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8.2 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9 Product Dimensions

10 Service and Support

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1 INTRODUCTION
Husky is a rugged and easy-to-use unmanned ground vehicle for rapid prototyping and research applications.
In this guide you will find information about the setup, operation, and maintenance of Husky.

1.1 What’s Included
Contained in your Husky shipment are the following items:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Clearpath Robotics Husky
24V Sealed Lead-Acid Battery Pack
Battery Door Cover
Battery Charger
Lockout Keys x2
Power Connectors x3

1.2 What’s Required
To use Husky, you will require a PC capable of running Robot Operating System (ROS). If a computer option
was purchased from Clearpath Robotics with Husky, then the included laptop or minicomputer has already
been configured with Ubuntu 14.04 and ROS Indigo, plus appropriate ROS packages and other configuration
for use with Husky.

1.3 Expansions
To expand the capabilities of Husky, consider the following accessories offered by Clearpath Robotics:
•
•
•
•
•

Spare Battery
IMU
LIDAR
Network Camera
GPS

Each sensor package ships from Clearpath Robotics with a custom mounting bracket and cabling for easy
attachment to Husky’s extruded aluminum payload mounting rail.

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2 THE BASICS
This section provides an overview of the key specifications of the Husky platform. Figure 1 gives a tour of key
Husky components.

Figure 1: Husky at a Glance

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2.1 Status Panel
The status panel is a display of LED indicators located on the rear of the chassis which provide information
about the current status of Husky. The indicators are described in Table 1.
Icon

Description
Battery status The four LED segments provide an approximate indication
of the relative lifetime remaining in the battery,
Communication status When green, Husky is receiving a stream of
correctly-formatted motion commands, and is ready to drive. When yellow,
Husky is receiving commands, but will not drive due to emergency stop or
another error. When red, serial communications are currently timed-out.
General error status Illuminates red when Husky will not drive due to an
error state. Such states include emergency stop, insufficient battery power,
or an unspecified software error.
Emergency stop status Illuminates red when Husky will not drive due to
the emergency stop being activated, either onboard or wireless (if
available).
Charge Indicator Illuminates red when Husky user power is being supplied
externally.
Table 1: Husky Status Panel Icons

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2.2 Orientation References
The reference frame used by all Clearpath Robotics ground vehicles is based on ISO 8855, and is shown in
Figure 2. Husky is displayed from the front. When commanded with a positive translational velocity (forward),
wheels travel in the positive x-direction. The direction of the axes differs from those used for roll, pitch, and
yaw in aircraft, and care should be taken to ensure that data is interpreted correctly.

Figure 2: Husky Reference Frame

2.3 Pinout Refrences
Husky provides a female DE-9 connector for communication with a host device. The pinout of this connector
is shown in Figure 3 .

Pin
2
3
5

Name
RX
TX
GND

Dir
IN
OUT
N/A

Description
Data from Platform
Data to Platform
Common Ground

Figure 3: Husky DE9 Pinout
The connectors used in the Husky’s user bay are Weidmüller’s 6 Position Terminal Blocks, to connect your
own bare wires, you may use Digi-key part number 281-1856-ND.

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3 SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
Key specifications of Husky are shown in Table 2 .

Track

990 mm length
670 mm width
390 mm height
555 mm

39 in length
26.4 in width
14.6 in height
21.9 in

Wheelbase

512 mm

20.2 in

Weight

50 kg

110 lbs

Maximum Payload1

75 kg

165 lbs

20 kg

44 lbs

1.0 m/s
130mm
45°
30°

3.3 ft/s
5 in
100% slope
58% slope

-10 to 30o C

14 to 86o F

Dimensions

All-terrain payload

Speed (max)
Ground clearance
Climb grade
Traversal grade
Operating Ambient
Temperature
Operating time
Battery
Battery charger

3 hours typical
8 hours standby (no motion)
24V 20Ah
Sealed Lead Acid
Short-circuit, over-current, over-voltage and reverse
voltage protection

Charge time

10 hours

User Power

5V / 12V / 24V
Each fused at 5A

Communication

RS-232
115200 Baud

Wheel Encoders

78,000 ticks/m

Internal Sensing

Battery Status
Wheel odometry
Motor currents
Table 2: Husky System Specifications

1
2

Continuous operation on relatively flat terrain with wide turns
Vehicle climbing 30° grade with high-mounted payload, or turning in place in high-friction conditions

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3.1 Vehicle Equations
As a starting point, Clearpath Robotics recommends using the following relationship between wheel velocity
and platform velocity:

vr +vl
2 ,ω

vr −vl
w

v represents the instantaneous translational speed of the platform and w the instantaneous rotational speed.
vr and vl are the right and left wheel velocities, respectively. w is the effective track of the vehicle, 0.555 m.

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4 SAFETY
Clearpath Robotics is committed to high standards of safety. Husky contains several features to protect the
safety of users and the integrity of the vehicle.

4.1 General Warnings
Husky is a rugged and high-performance vehicle. For the safety of yourself and others, always conduct initial
experiments and software development with the vehicle raised off the ground. Place a wooden crate, a set of
sawhorses, a sturdy storage tub, or any other solid flat structure having a height greater than 6 inches under
Husky to keep the wheels clear of the ground (“up on blocks”).
When starting out, favor slower wheel speeds. Husky’s control loops can accurately maintain velocities as low
as 0.1 m/s. Operating at such speeds will give you more time to react if things don’t go quite as you expect.
When Husky is operating, keep clear of the wheels, paying particular attention to the pinch hazard which
exists between each wheel and the end of the corresponding bumper bar.

4.2 E-Stop and Lockout
The red emergency stop button (e-stop) and lockout are located on the back of Husky, opposite the status
panel, shown in Figure 4. Power supply to Husky’s motor drivers is enabled by a normally-open relay, which
is closed in series with the e-stop switch. When in e-stop mode, the status panel e-stop light will illuminate red,
and Husky will not drive. The commands received during e-stop are not buffered; Husky will always act on
the latest commands received. This means that if the commands are stopped before the e-stop is released,
the Husky will not move. If the commands are continued, Husky will move at the speed commanded once the
e-stop is released.

Figure 4: Husky Emergency Stop and Lockout
Always ensure the e-stop button is accessible at all times. Avoid mounting payloads that extend over the rear
of Husky and would occlude the e-stop.

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The lockout provides a way to secure Husky from performing any type of motion. When in lockout mode, the
robot will still power on, but the motors will not drive.

4.3 Electrical System
Husky is powered by a single 24V sealed lead-acid battery, similar to the type found in electric wheelchairs,
golf carts, and other devices. Husky’s battery is capable of delivering 1800W—similar to wall mains. This
gives Husky’s motors their great performance, however, it is also enough power to cause severe bodily harm.
Please observe the following precautions:

• Do not tamper with the plug attached to the battery.
• Do not tamper with the fuse panel, except to check and change the fuses, and to connect and disconnect the battery plug.
• Do not operate Husky without the battery door in place. The battery is not restrained without the door,
and will come loose, damaging the fuse panel.
• Charge the battery only with the charger provided by Clearpath Robotics.
• Please dispose of the batteries properly.

4.4 Lifting and transport
For the safety of users and to maximize the lifetime of Husky, please observe the following when manually
transporting the robot:

• Husky should be lifted by two persons, firmly gripping the front and rear bumper-bars. The battery can
be removed to lighten the load of a manual transport.
• Ensure that Husky is e-stopped when transporting short distances and powered off when transporting
longer distances.
• Note: It is not advised to push Husky, as this can cause damage to the motors

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4.5 Performance Recommendations
Included in Husky are native software checks and limits to protect the vehicle. However, it is recommended
to monitor the system’s status during usage with the /status and /diagnostics topics. These topics provides
useful information regarding voltages, currents, temperatures and general health of the system.
The total current draw does not include the motors drivers; it is the current consumed by the MCU and user
power ports. Husky’s motors are rated to draw 8A continuous, but they will spike to several times this, particularly when traversing rough terrain and when turning on the spot. To reduce current draw, consider commanding wider-radius turns from your control software.
The temperature is measured in the motor drivers and on the motor casings; the coils inside the motor casings
cannot be measured. Therefore, it is important to note that the temperature measured on the motor casings is
a lagging indicator of the temperature of the coils inside the casing. Be aware of the delay in heat propagation
on the motors during heavy use. The thermal limit of the system is 50 C°, and the system will shut down if
this limit is reached. Monitoring these fields over longer periods of operation will allow you to ensure that you
are not putting excessive wear on Husky’s motors.

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5 GETTING STARTED
You are ready to go! This section details how to get Husky into action. To begin, place Husky “up on blocks”
as described in the Safety section – make sure the wheels are clear of the ground.
For most Husky setups, there will be an Onboard PC which is directly connected to the Husky and a Remote
PC which is used to control Husky and gather data. These two PCs must be set up to communicate with each
other.

5.1 Onboard PC Setup
If you purchased an Onboard PC from Clearpath Robotics with Husky, it is already installed, connected, and
powered. Provided on this machine is the officially-supported ROS software for Husky, joystick teleoperation,
and any sensor payloads purchased.
If not, or to set up your own Onboard PC, please visit http://wiki.ros.org/Robots/Husky

5.2 Connecting the Onboard PC
Husky’s serial port is located in the user power panel accessible from the user area, shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5: Husky RS232 Connector
The connector is a female DE9, suitable for connection directly to a USB-serial adaptor, or to a PC serial port
via a straight-through modem cable (not a null modem cable). How you connect the Onboard PC to Husky
depends on whether the Onboard PC has a dedicated serial port.

5.3 Remote PC
Once you have an Onboard PC connected to your Husky with ROS installed, it is recommended to set up
your Remote PC. Begin by either plugging the Remote PC directly into Husky’s router, or connecting to the
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same wireless network that your Husky was configured to connect to.
It is now possible to communicate with Husky by either setting up a ROS master environment, or using SSH.
SSH is very useful for directly accessing the Onboard PC and to perform software updates.
To access the Onboard PC, you can SSH into Husky:
ssh administrator@

However, some features are not available through SSH and so it is recommended to set up a ROS master
environment. If you are using an Onboard PC supplied by Clearapth, or using the Clearpath ISO on your own
Onboard PC, Husky will already be configured as the ROS master.
On your Remote PC you will want to add the Onboard PC hostname to your /etc/hosts file along with it’s IP
address so your Remote PC can communicate with Husky via it’s hostname.
Husky’s hostname (Onboard PC) will either be set by Clearpath, or defined by the user during the installation
process, in any case, you can verify the hostname and IP address of Husky using the following commands
during an SSH session with the Onboard PC.
hostname
hostname -i

Once Husky’s hostname and IP address have been added to /etc/hosts, ensure the Remote PC can communicate with Husky via hostname:
ping HUSKY’S HOSTNAME

If both computers can ping each other, then set the following ROS environment variable on your remote PC.
export ROS_MASTER_URI=http://:11311
export ROS_HOSTNAME=

You can then verify your connection by using:
rostopic list
rostopic echo /tf

If your Husky is equipped with an external radio or base station that is connected to a subnet different than
your Remote PC, you will have to set up a static route to communicate with Husky. You can find the IP address
of Husky’s router using the routers built in interface or a third party application.
sudo route add -net netmask 255.255.255.255 gw

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5.4 Connecting Power
Husky comes with the battery fully charged and installed, but disconnected for safety during shipping. To
reconnect the battery:

1. Ensure Husky’s main power button is in the outer “off” position and the e-stop is activated.
2. Using curled index fingers to grip the battery door latches, press with thumbs on the latch buttons and
lift the battery door free of the chassis.
3. Carefully connect the battery plug to the mating connector in the fuse panel, shown in Figure 6. Ensure
that it is firmly seated and clicks into place. It will be difficult to connect it in the incorrect polarity.
4. Replace the battery door cover, ensuring that it clicks into place and is flush with the rear panel.

Figure 6: Husky Battery Area
To power on Husky, firmly press the power button located above the status panel. It will illuminate blue, and
the status panel lights will show a brief test pattern. The comm status light will turn red, as the PC is not yet
communicating with Husky.
The stop status light will be red if the e-stop is pressed. If it is not, press the e-stop button and verify that the
stop light illuminates. Leave the platform in an e-stop state until it is successfully receiving commands.

5.5 User Bay Power Connections
The user area power terminals are capable of supplying 5V, 12V, and 24V at up to 5A each for powering
Husky’s payloads. Each terminal comes equipped with a removable connector into which your payload power
leads may connect.

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To begin, expose about 5mm of bare wire from the payload power leads. The power connector features two
openings on the top for each pin; a square hole and a round hole. Insert a 2mm wide flat head screwdriver
into the square hole to “open” the adjacent round hole as seen in Figure 7. Slide the power lead into the round
hole, and then remove the screwdriver to lock the wire in place.

Figure 7: Removable Power Connectors
When connecting payloads, be sure to observe correct polarity as marked on the inside of the user bay. Do
not exceed the 5A maximum current limit of each power rail; failure to do so may result in damage to Husky
or your payload.
For more technical information on the power connectors, as well as their corresponding mating connectors,
please visit: http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en?vendor=0&keywords=281-1856-ND&

cur=USD

5.6 Veriﬁcation
If a computer was purchased with Husky, it will be setup to interface automatically upon startup. 60-90 seconds
after booting up, the Husky comms light will change from red to green (or yellow, depending on e-stop status),
indicating that ROS is up and has established communications with Husky.
To tele-operate Husky, plug a USB joystick into the included Onboard PC, and release the emergency stop.
After a few seconds, ROS should recognize the joystick and begin passing commands through to the mobile
platform. Press the enable button (typically button 1), and use the main joystick axis or left thumbstick to drive
Husky.
Direct control using the Python or C++ interfaces is also possible, the API is available at http://www.
clearpathrobotics.com/husky/downloads However, please note that Clearpath Robotics no longer
provides support for these packages, and are they supplied ”as is”.

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6 USING ROS
Robot Operating System (ROS) is an extensible framework for controlling and working with robotic systems.
Clearpath Robotics recommends using ROS with Husky. If this is your first time using ROS, it is strongly
recommended to run through our series of ROS101 tutorials to learn the basics of ROS http://support.
clearpathrobotics.com. If you did not purchase a PC from Clearpath Robotics, please visit http://
wiki.ros.org/Robots/Husky to set up your own Onboard PC.

6.1 Nodes
You can use rosnode list to see all the nodes running by default on a Husky computer. The baseline set of
these is presented with commentary in Table 3.
Node

Description

/husky_node

Provides control and communication between the
Husky platform and ROS. Accepts velocity commands
and provides system feedback on /status

/robot_state_publisher

Subscribes to /joint_states and publishes the robot’s
state to tf

/bluetooth_teleop

Publishes velocity commands from a joystick to
/twist_mux

/twist_mux

Takes in multiple sources of velocity commands, and
prioritizes what actually gets sent to the controller

/ekf_localization

Part of the robot localization package, more information regarding this package can be found at http:

//wiki.ros.org/robot_localization
Table 3: Standard Husky Nodes

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6.2 Topics
You can view all topics that are active using rostopc list. Some of the base topics are listed in Table 4 and
Table 5.
Topic

Message type

Description

sensor_msgs/Joy

Receives joystick commands,
echo this topic to verify your
controller is publishing

/tf

tf2_msgs/TFMessage

Transforms between coordinate
frames, this should always be
publishing, and hence a good
topic to echo to test your ROS
connection

/status

husky_msgs/HuskyStatus

Displays system status information

/estop

std_msgs/Bool

Displays the estop status

/odometry/filtered

nav_msgs/Odometry

The odometry estimate of the
robot from /ekf_localization

sensor_msgs/Joy

Receives joystick commands,
echo this topic to verify your
controller is publishing

/tf

tf2_msgs/TFMessage

Transforms between coordinate
frames, this should always be
publishing, and hence a good
topic to echo to test your ROS
connection

/status

husky_msgs/HuskyStatus

Displays system status information

/estop

std_msgs/Bool

Displays the estop status

/odometry/filtered

nav_msgs/Odometry

The odometry estimate of the
robot from /ekf_localization

«««< HEAD /bluetooth_teleop/
joy

======= bluetooth_teleop/joy

»»»>
46e23147c6a4b9b20978f874f25644e6b309b5b3
Table 4: Standard Husky Topics

6.3 Workspace
The expected model for extending Husky is to create a new ROS Workspace in the user’s home directory,
and add packages there. You can roslaunch additional nodes against the ROS Master already running on
Husky without needing to stop or start anything else. See the Overlays page on the ROS wiki for more details:

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«««< HEAD Motion Topics

twist_mux Priority

Description

Receives motion commands
from twist_mux based off their
priority

joy_teleop/cmd_vel

Joystick teleop input

twist_marker_server/cmd_vel

Interactive marker teleop input

move_base/cmd_vel

Autonomous movement input,
for the husky navigation packages

cmd_vel

Miscellaneous external input

======= Motion Topics

twist_mux Priority

Description

Receives motion commands
from twist_mux based off their
priority

joy_teleop/cmd_vel

Joystick teleop input

twist_marker_server/cmd_vel

Interactive marker teleop input

move_base/cmd_vel

Autonomous movement input,
for the husky navigation packages

cmd_vel

Miscellaneous external input

husky_velocity_controller/
cmd_vel

»»»>
46e23147c6a4b9b20978f874f25644e6b309b5b3
Table 5: Standard Husky Motion Topics

http://wiki.ros.org/catkin/Tutorials/workspace_overlaying
When it comes time for some of your own code to be launched on startup of Husky, edit the default workspace
setup file, located in /etc/ros/setup.bash. Change the final line from the default to instead source your own
workspace. When this is done, copy the launch file for your software into the robot_upstart folder, which is
located at /etc/ros/hydro/husky-core.d. Now restart the Husky background service and your nodes should
come up with the rest of Husky:
sudo service husky-core restart

For more details on this process, please see the ROS wiki page about upstart, located at: http://wiki.

ros.org/robot_upstart

6.4 Payloads
You can find a list of supported packages and related documentation for payloads on Clearpath Robotics’
ROS Wiki page here: http://wiki.ros.org/ClearpathRobotics

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7 BATTERY AND MAINTENANCE
Husky A200 is built for rugged, long-term use. Here are some steps that can be taken to maintain and extend
the life of the platform even further.

7.1 Charging
The battery shipped with Husky A200 may be charged off-board, or while still inside of Husky. If charging
while installed, you will need to open the access door to the battery area, and disconnect the battery from its
connector in the fuse panel. From there:

1. Connect the DC output cable from the charger to the battery terminal connector.
2. Plug the charger power cord into the charger and then into a wall receptacle.
3. The POWER LED and CHARGING LED lights on the charger will illuminate.
4. When battery is fully charged, the CHARGING LED light will turn off.
5. Unplug the charger from the wall, and then disconnect it from the battery.

The battery charger shipped with Clearpath Robotics’ lead-acid battery-powered products uses a three-state
charge cycle.

1. A fast, high current initial charge, until the battery voltage reaches 29.6V.
2. A topping charge, during which the battery charges at 29.6V constant voltage until the current decreases to 500 mA.
3. A precision float charge, during which the battery voltage is held at 27.6V. This mode allows the charger
to remain connected to the battery during periods of non-use, keeping it in a state of full charge. When
in this mode, the CHARGING LED will be off.

7.2 Battery Care
Husky’s power supply is a sealed 24 V lead acid battery pack (VRLA), providing 20 ampere-hours of charge.
These tips are intended to help keep your Husky Lead-Acid Battery in tip-top shape. With proper maintenance,
the battery should maintain the majority of its capacity for hundreds of cycles.
The most damaging thing to a lead-acid battery is a phenomenon called sulfation. When a lead-acid battery
is left in an uncharged state for long periods of time, sulfate crystals solidify on the electrodes of the battery.
This effect can be permanent, and it causes premature reduction in capacity. Therefore, it is important to fully
charge the battery as soon as you are finished using it, regardless of how much capacity remains

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Your Husky ships with a three-stage battery charger that completely charges a Husky battery. Charging
occurs in three stages: Constant current, topping charge, and float charge. The bulk of the capacity (70%) is
regained during the first stage.
It is important to let the charger complete all three stages whenever possible, to help maintain the life of the
battery. The initial stage will take 5-7 hours, and a complete charge may take up to 14 hours.

Figure 8: Husky Battery Voltage Characteristics
In general, following these tips will help maximize the life of the battery:
• Always fully charge the battery as soon as you are finished using it.
• Charge batteries at room temperature. Never charge lead-acid batteries at temperatures above 35
degrees Celcius.
• Charge batteries in a well-ventilated area.
• Do not allow the battery to freeze. A low battery will freeze sooner than a fully charged one. Never
charge a frozen battery.
• Stored batteries should be topped up every month. Completely cycle batteries every 4-6 months.
• At a discharge rate of 50After this point, reduced capacity will be apparent.
• Regularly discharging the battery below 50

7.3 Wheels
Tire pressure may change with temperature and should be checked periodically with a pressure gauge. Inspecting tires, releasing pressure, and inflating tires are completed through the tire’s inflation stem. Tire
pressure should not exceed 20psi, and lower pressure may be desired based on terrain requirements.
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If a tire must be removed, first unfasten the four M5 Socket Head Cap Screws that join the wheel to the axle
hub, and slide it off the axle. When replacing the tire, screws should be tightened to 3.7 ft-lb [5 N-m] torque.

7.4 Chassis
Husky is an all-terrain robot, but it is not waterproof. Care should be taken that no part of the main chassis
is ever submerged in water. When the chassis becomes wet or dirty, wipe it down with a damp cloth and dry
with a towel.
If water is suspected to have entered the Husky A200 chassis, remove the battery and allow Husky to fully
dry for a minimum of 24 hours.

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8 TIPS AND TROUBLESHOOTING
8.1 Mechanical Tips
Husky’s wheels can handle a range of different terrains, but work best when inflated to the proper pressure.
Lower tire pressures, for example 10 psi, ensure better traction in rough and varied terrain, where rocks
or other obstacles may be encountered. This has the adverse effect of lowering drivetrain efficiency and
decreasing battery charge, so high pressures up to a maximum of 20 psi should be used when driving on flat
surfaces.

8.2 Troubleshooting
This section lists a few possible issues which may be encountered:

• The blue light around the power button does not display when pressing the power button. Ensure that the battery is charged and correctly connected. Use a multi-meter to verify the voltage on the
battery terminals.
• Comm light stays red/flickers. Your program may not be sending motion commands faster than
10Hz. If there is a poor quality connection, some commands may be lost, so it may be necessary to
increase the frequency of commands sent. The maximum frequency commands can be sent is 50Hz
• E-stop light illuminated. Twist the red e-stop to release it, and confirm that the robot is not locked
out.
• Battery indicator flashing. Battery voltage is too low for Husky to drive the motors. Charge the
battery and try again.
• A ROS package isn’t starting. Verify the upstart logs, /var/log/upstart/husky_core.log to see if
there are any error during upstart.
• Husky experiences momentary drops in communication. It’s possible the robot has reached the
thermal limit, or current limit. The maximum current limits are set to 18.3A, however, as the motors
are only rated for 8A continuous, anything above that will trigger the current limit eventually, the higher
above this limit, the more quickly it will trigger. If you are unsure whether this is the case, feel free to
contact support@clearpathrobotics.com with a rosbag of your system. Clearpath robotics also offers
a high torque upgrade if more torque is required for your project.

If you experience setup issues that aren’t listed here, or the suggested solution isn’t working out, please get
in touch with our support team so we can help: support@clearpathrobotics.com.

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9 PRODUCT DIMENSIONS

Figure 9: Husky Dimensions

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10 SERVICE AND SUPPORT
Clearpath is committed to your success with Husky. Please get in touch with us and we’ll do our best
to get you rolling again quickly: support@clearpathrobotics.com or visit out knowledge base for at support.clearpathrobotics.com
To get in touch with our sales team regarding Husky or other Clearpath Robotics products, please email
sales@clearpathrobotics.com.
If you have an issue that is specifically about ROS and is something which may be of interest to the broader
community, consider asking it on answers.ros.org. If you don’t get a satisfactory response, please ping us
and include a link to your question as posted there. If appropriate, we’ll answer in the ROS Answers context
for the benefit of the community.

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