TROGBlog - Robotics Discussion Part 1

RSS Bot · October 3, 2009

I'm an avid fan of robotic technologies. Over the past several years I've been following the progress of advances in robotics, including mechanical dexterity, sensor implementation, and software AI. I'd like to share these advances with the AA community and discuss their implications. I think the robotic industry is on the verge of a profoundly significant break through, where robots will start to become ubiquitous in our lives. (As I am typing this post, there are two robots cleaning my kitchen, and they're doing a great job. But I'll get more into that later.)

I'm going to break this discussion up into several parts, so it's not one long post. In this first installment, I'll present the state of the art in robotics, which is best demonstrated by an assortment of videos.

Asimo

Asimo is the gold standard in the world of robotics. Honda has been working on this model for over 20 years, with the first demonstration in 1986. This robot hosts many features, including advanced environmental recognition, excellent balance and motor skills, and the ability for both feet to leave the ground while running, which allows for significantly faster movement. The above video focuses mostly on Asimo's motor skills.

I'm taking my family to Disneyland next week. One of the highlights for me will be the chance to see an Asimo robot in person at the Tomorrowland exhibit.

Toyota's Partner Robot

Toyota is also investing in robotic R&D. They have some nice musical demonstrations, but I get the impression they are behind Honda in this field.

Toyota's Partner Robot II

This is another Toyota demo, this time playing a violin.

Twendy-One

This robot was designed at Waseda University in Tokyo. The video demonstrates precise manual dexterity.

Japan in general has been investing far more money into humanoid robotics than the United States. Their primary motivation for this investment is the long-term goal of providing care and companionship for Japan's growing elderly population.

Repliee Q1

A related field that the Japanese have been working on is building life-like humanoid robots. Repliee Q1 is capable of fairly life-like eye and mouth movement, and upper body gestures. Her facial construction has a realistic appearance, even when the camera is zoomed in.

Actroid DER2

Kokoro's Actroid DER2 Female Robot is the most realistic android I've seen so far.

Nexi MDS

Continuing on the theme of human interaction robots, here is a video of Nexi MDS, developed by MIT's Media Lab. This robot's specialties are facial expression and manual dexterity. But I'll let her speak for herself.

R Daneel

This robot, designed by the University of Tokyo ISI Lab, is human-sized and has the impressive ability to stand up on its own, using a familiar martial arts technique.

Nao

Designed by the French company Aldebaran Robotics, Nao is an impressive little robot with many capabilities. This is the first robot I've seen that can bend over and pick up an object off the ground. It can also lift itself up when it falls over.

More Nao

This is another Nao demonstration which shows its excellent sense of balance. Note that this video shows Nao using a different technique to get up from lying on its back. In the previous video, it was lying on its front.

The blog software won't let me post any more videos, so this is a good stopping point. I'll post more on this topic in the future. Feedback and comments are welcome.

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