Artificial Intelligence and Robotics blog
Toyota’s running humanoid robot
We all know of Honda’s ASIMO humanoid robot and its amazing walking and running capabilities. Other research labs though are not far behind developing robots just as capable. In fact, Toyota has an excellent and very advanced robot in the making even though they entered the game much later than Honda.
Toyota’s most recent humanoid robot prototype (one of many partner robots the automotive giant is developing) stands 130cm tall and weighs 50Kgr. Its legs have 7 degrees of freedom and it can run at an average speed of 7 km/h. In contrast, ASIMO’s maximum speed is 6km/h. The Toyota researchers had to develop new real-time methods for balance control. These methods make it possible for the robot to remain balanced when an external force such as a push from a human is applied when in motion.
The below video from Toyota demonstrates the running capabilities of the new humanoid robot. The robot takes a step every 340ms and has no contact with the ground for 100ms of that. Notice in the video how the robot remains balanced even after pushed by the human.
Finally, even though this new robot is impressive, it is still limited on moving over flat surfaces and it can only recover from small external forces. But then again, even Rome was not built in one day!
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about 2 years ago
Now that's freakin cool !!
about 2 years ago
That is extremely impressive.
about 2 years ago
scary :S
about 2 years ago
Sadly, China and Japan have taken control of all the technology to build the most advanced electronics. One day, Chinese slaves will build millions of these and will deploy them in warfare, controlled by expert cyber warriors sitting in airconditioned game rooms. Gas and chemical filled armoured soldierbots will knock on your door one morning and melt your hamsters eyeballs.
about 2 years ago
It can balanca but anyone knos his name? this is the most advancer mouvement i have ever seen.
realy, it beat big dog.
about 2 years ago
Hope that sound in the background isn't it's casefan.
about 2 years ago
Joke's on them, anonymous coward.
I don't even HAVE a hamster!
about 2 years ago
The running is impressive and all, but it doesn't look very natural yet. The recovery was what I found interesting.
about 2 years ago
it can balance backwards but what if someone pushes from behind i dont see the use in slow progress i want robot servents and i want them NOW!!!!
about 2 years ago
I for one – WELCOME our new robotic overlords!
about 2 years ago
"One day, Chinese slaves will build millions of these and will deploy them in warfare"
LOL, Why on earth would they waste trillions of dollars doing that when they have millions of peasants already available to do it for next to nothing?
about 2 years ago
My god! What will they think of next. Seriously, is there a need for a running robot? Wouldn't wheels be just as effective, and require a lot less neural exertation?
I'm still finding my Roomba cooler. And it can bring me beer.
about 2 years ago
Boston Dynamics' 'Big Dog' does about as well with 4 legs over far more difficult terrain.
Very cool, and not at all like the running Cylons I watched last night.. not at all..
about 2 years ago
Although the external force applied was extremely slight, it was fantastic in that the robot has only one preparation for the shove… the constant jogging motion. Humans would likely recognize the invasion of space, posture of the "pusher", and visually perceive the shove coming and immediately begin to adjust balance to receive the shove. All that logic will have to come later and at a MUCH higher processing cost. Great job though Team Toyota.
about 2 years ago
Let me know when they make one that can recover it's balance on the way down a flight of stairs.
Let me know when they make one that can watch a baseball hit by a bat, and within 1/4 second make a judgement, turn, run at top speed to where the ball will land, raise it's gloved hand, and at the last second — turn and catch that ball in the far outfield.
Also, how LONG can this robot run at 7kph without a power cord?
about 2 years ago
"Wouldn't wheels be just as effective, and require a lot less neural exertation?"
No, they wouldn't. We need a robot that can climb stairs or even trees. For that you need legs. This toy can't climb, but it can run, which is very useful. While other scientists are working on the "climbing" module, these guys are working on the "running" module.
"Also, how LONG can this robot run at 7kph without a power cord?"
In the 21st century, we use batteries and solar panels. What do you use in the 19th century?
about 2 years ago
well, they've just started doing it for a few decades, low long did natural selection took? give the guys some time to work it and we'll soon have NS5 swith read light glowing running in the streats…
about 2 years ago
"One day, Chinese slaves will build millions …"
I'm an Indian, and perhaps India is one country that China will most likely strike before anyone else, and yet, I find the chinese slaves rather derogatory.
about 2 years ago
Oh this will be great! Combine it with Hod Lipson's self aware robotics, and weave the newfangled supper capacitors into it's structure and it'll be good for a couple hundred miles… we're doomed.
about 2 years ago
i for one can't wait when the robots look like six in Tripping the rift
about 2 years ago
"Hello there, I'm the best robot in the world. Oooooooh f*ck! I just fell on my ass. I am totally f*cked now!"
about 2 years ago
there's a little man in there….
about 2 years ago
Great! Now they can chase us!
about 2 years ago
Very impressive.
about 2 years ago
That is just scary. It's like when 28 Days Later changed zombies from slow amblers to fast runners. What advantage will we have over the machines if they can chase us?!
about 2 years ago
Humans are idiots – it doesn't take a genius to see where this is heading.
about 2 years ago
"Humans are idiots – it doesn't take a genius to see where this is heading."
I know you are probably speaking in jest, but I believe in giving everyone the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their sincerity.
With that said, concentrate on your own shortcomings before you decide to lump me and others with your ilk.
You are right about one thing. It doesn't take an oracle to see that this will lead to awesome robot ninjas for use in Robowars.
about 2 years ago
Parachute them to the surface of Mars from a mannned orbiter.
about 2 years ago
When is GM coming out with its human friendly Hybrid version? The usual lag time of 5 years, maybe?
about 2 years ago
"One day, Chinese slaves will build millions of these and will deploy them in warfare"
Do not worry. NO ONE is going to overthrow United States position as the #1 in worldwide military spending. U.S. purchases account for 47 percent of military expenditures on planet Earth.
Why are so many "Americans" so scared of China? China is probably the most capitalistic country in the world, you can by anything there. Electronics, robots, livers, lungs. Money is their only religion. United States is their primary money well.
China does not want your land, your people, or even your freedom. They even do not want your economical collapse, because they need you.
It is a tightening parasitic relationship. The economy of United States cannot exist anymore without China lending the money, and China cannot survive without United States paying the bills. Remember Japan in 1980? China is probably entering the same phase quite soon.
about 2 years ago
to Anonymous@1:09 AM
today american deploy them in Pakistan,
sitting in their airconditioned game rooms their cyberwarriors obliterate complete villages
oh oh robbots, not drone's
You accuse another of what you are doing today.
about 2 years ago
Looks like it's time to start training blade runners…
about 2 years ago
Looks like it's time to start training blade runners…
about 2 years ago
This would be terrifying if they weren't so easily avoided by, say, going upstairs. I kind of fail to understand the excitement; if the system is restricted to flat surfaces, then it's probably about $3B more expensive than it needs to be. The hullaballoo is, IMHO, premature – when the system can gauge and correct for upcoming terrain that isn't level, then there will be genuine cause for excitement. (Sorry to be a buzzkill.)
about 2 years ago
that's not running! that's speed-walking.
about 2 years ago
Really impressive, both foots are in the air… Quite scary also.
about 2 years ago
At this speed, the battery life of the robot should be something like 10 minutes I think… okay, 15 minutes with LiPo batteries… but no more !
about 2 years ago
this is cool but imagine robot police running around, u'd be screwed whether u were armed or not cuz there metal, lol, and will start going faster