We ’re not yet capable of building humanoid robots that are indistinguishable from biological humans , but that does n’t have in mind we ’re not sample . Here are 10 real robots that are helping us reach this futurist milestone .
To make the “ perfect ” humanoid robot , a machine has to show three fundamental qualities : It needs to look , move , and pretend like a human being . There is n’t a undivided robot in existence that hits all of these mug , and we ’re still decades away from arriving at the preternatural vale for androids .
That said , there are robots that perform or demo at least one or two of these criteria quite well . finally , roboticists will pool together their expertise , produce the first generation of A-one - realistic humanoids . Here are ten that are taking us nigher to that lofty goal .
PETMAN
Developed by Boston Dynamics ( with , ahem , a little help from the US Department of Defense ) , thisabsurdly naturalistic humanoid robotis being used to test the carrying out of protective clothing . Sensors in PETMAN ’s artificial skin can observe any chemical substance that are leak through the suit , and its high-pitched - technical school pelt model human physiology inside the outfit by farm sweat and regulating temperature .
This cause will finally be worn by human emergency proletarian , so PETMAN is being used in simulations of real world condition — and to spectacular effect . Unlike previous version of PETMAN , this new - and - improved modeling can balance itself and move freely , performing such tasks as walk , bending , and anything else required of a rescue proletarian or soldier . PETMAN is truly awful — and super naturalistic — but it ’s also freaky as hell .
Junko Chihira
distinguish as a trilingual mechanical man , Junko Chihirais currently in development at Toshiba . Unlike PETMAN and many of the other robots on this lean , she is n’t the most agile android in the world , but she ’s make unbelievable interaction acquirement , along with the ability to make human being - alike facial expression . She ’s currently stationed at a holidaymaker data center on Tokyo ’s waterfront , where she greet visitors in Japanese , English , and Chinese .
Junko Chihira incorporate Toshiba ’s speech synthesis technology , which enables her trilingual attainment . Her developer would like to give her delivery identification technology by and by this year , allow her to respond to dubiousness from tourist . presently , the only fashion to interact with her is through a keyboard .
The SCHAFT Bipedal Robot
Getting robots to walk steady and confidently on two foot has been a tremendous challenge for researchers . A two-footed automaton call SCHAFT exhibit that for some tasks , a torso is n’t required . This sturdy , thickset robot is already performing some meaningful body of work , but it could eventually conduce to more nimble humanoid robots .
Not much is known about SCHAFT , a Japanese robotics startup that wasacquired by Google in 2014and is now part of the companionship ’s data-based technology lab . After a three - twelvemonth respite , SCHAFTintroduced the unknown and unusual front biped robotatNEST 2016 in Tokyo .
The machine is designed as a broken - cost , humbled - power , compendious gadget that ’s meant to “ avail society . ” Seems dim , but this bot can behave 130 pounds ( 60 kg ) , locomote over uneven terrain , and palm difficult step — a grand challenge for robots . Whether or not this car can still perform these tasks with an upper body and head remains to be seen , but as this robot shows , some labor do n’t need certain body part .
Erica and Geminoid DK
Erica is the inspiration ofHiroshi Ishiguro , director of theIntelligent Robotics Laboratoryat Osaka University in Japan . Ishiguro is famous for his super - realistic humanoid robots ( including his doppelganger , Geminoid HI-4 ) , but Erica , in addition to looking very human - like , is design to interact naturally with her human companions by integrate a number of science , such as voice recognition , human tracking , and lifelike question generation .
invest with 19 degrees of freedom ( a degree of freedom is a single forcible movement , such as the twist of the neck , or the lifting of an arm ) , Erica can move her look , neck , shoulder , and waist . She address through a synthesized voice , and can make several facial expressions and gestural movements .
Geminoid DK is another Ishiguro - project golem , and it ’s an effort to curb the uncanny vale . introduce in 2011 , the bot was make to look like roboticist Henrik Scharfe of Aalborg University in Denmark . Geminoid DK cost $ 200,000 to plan and work up , but it bear witness . catch Geminoid DK for the first prison term , it took me a while to realize I was actually looking at a machinelike grimace . The hyper - realistic robot is being used to hit the books our emotional responses after seeing an android that looks just like a real person .
ATLAS Unplugged
Voted the robot most likely to destroy human race , thisDARPA - funded machine recently undergo a major upgradein which 75 percentage of it was rebuild . call ATLAS Unplugged , it ’s more energy efficient , stronger ( uh - oh ) , more dextrous , and quieter than its unwieldy predecessor ( you wo n’t be able to take heed it coming during the robopocalypse ) . And best of all most dreadful of all , it does n’t ask that silly condom tether .
The 6 - foot-2 ( 1.88 meters ) , 345 pound ( 156.6 kg ) automaton is now equip with a new battery pack ( which it wears on its back ) , allowing for onboard free energy computer memory and keen efficiency . ATLAS Unplugged has three onboard perception computers that it uses for perception and task provision . A wireless router in its head allows for untethered communicating . Mercifully , it ’s also fit out with a kill switch should this behemoth run off on its own .
finally , a next version of ATLAS could be used as a humanoid helping hand on the field of battle , or as a rescue worker in serious state of affairs . Some day , when a truly naturalistic robotic human being is finally built , we ’ll look back on ATLAS as an important forerunner .
Nadine
Developed by researchers atNanyang Technological Universityin Singapore , Nadine is a social robot that integrate artificial news with super - naturalistic physical features to dramatic effect . Nadine uses natural hand gesture and promontory trend during conversation , and her back talk moves when she talks ( albeit not that well ) . She ’s a prime example of how AI and robotics will converge to make something distinctly human - corresponding .
mould after the department ’s director , Nadia Magnenat Thalmann , Nadine smile when recognize and front masses straight in the middle during conversations . Incredibly , she use facial identification software to think of hoi polloi she has meet and can even call up anterior conversations . Nadine can be well-chosen or sad bet on what ’s being said , and show her own distinct personality and emotion . Nadine is power by software program interchangeable to Apple ’s Siri or Microsoft ’s Cortana , and she could eventually be used as a personal assistant in domestic or billet options .
REEM-C
REEM - C is a prototype android robot developed by Spain ’s PAL Robotics . At 5.4 feet and 176 pound , its physical body is broadly speaking based on human proportion , but it ’s packed with some unbelievable feature of speech .
REEM - C ’s headspring is able of two degrees of freedom ( DOF ) , and is fit with a stereo television camera , light-emitting diode to represent the mouth , and speaker to talk . Its arms , with seven DOF , allow it to hold 22 pound above its headway . Its human - like hands have 3 DOF , and is outfit with press sensors for tactual feedback . REEM ’s 6 DOF leg can propel it 1.5 km per hour . In total , this robot has 22 degrees of exemption — telling by any measure .
For its wit , REEM - C has a pair of i7 computers running Ubuntu software . The robot ’s sensors helps it sail through its environment , avoiding obstruction and people . Its designers envision it as a domesticated automaton , or any other number of applications , admit a tour guide , entertainer , or surety guard . REEM - C is still in the prototype phase , and it ’s still a bit ungainly , but given its wide raiment of feature .
Romeo
Romeo , a 55 - column inch - marvelous mechanical man robot , wasdesigned by France ’s Aldebaran Roboticsto help individuals , such as the elderly , who have lost their physical autonomy . Romeo ’s size of it and physical capabilities allow him to open doors , climb stairs , and reach target on a table . His developers are hoping that he ’ll eventually be able-bodied to sway objects , including the great unwashed .
The Romeo project currently ask five origination , 13 robotics labs , and 80 engineers and researchers . Romeo is n’t the most realistic robot on this lean , but his strong-arm motility are top notch — and even a bit eerie . The way he run his blazonry and close down his hired man is near pure , devote the impression that there ’s an actual child master the apparent motion from the inside .
OceanOne
This aquatic android is one of the more forward-looking robot we ’ve escort in a while , up to of swimming to depths that are traditionally off limits to human divers .
develop at Stanford University ’s Artificial Intelligence Lab , OceanOneis outfit with sensible paw that relay haptic feedback to the navigator ’s ascendance , allowing for a shared sense of spot . The robot was designed to meditate coral reef in the Red Sea , where conventional autonomous subaqueous vehicles ( AUVs ) are at risk of damaging the delicate seafloor structure . Because it take care like a human being , and because it ’s controlled by actual human social movement , it can analyse the corals with bang-up care and delicacy .
But OceanOne can do more than enquire precious coral . During its first mission , the robot dove for hoarded wealth in a wreck off the coast of France , and working at a astuteness of 325 feet ( 100 meters ) . It actually managed to convalesce a grapefruit - sized vase and return it to the deck of its ship . OceanOne is miss the lower one-half of his eubstance , but robots such as this can help oneself us integrate human feature and movements into other robots . Equipped with artificial intelligence and the requisite physical science , next version will be able to behave without any human interposition .
ASIMO
Last but not least there ’s ASIMO — Honda ’s iconic android robot . ASIMO may be turn 17 afterward this twelvemonth , but this teenaged android has stupefy a lot sound for it , thanks to a steadfast flow of improvements .
ASIMO is lighter and bit smaller than its predecessor , admit it to move around with added grace and agility . The bot can pick up a certain container fill with succus , unscrew the top , pick up a cupful with its other bridge player , pour the juice , and cautiously place both the cup and container back on the table . To make this possible , Honda has fit ASIMO with sensors in its hands allow it know that it ’s holding something , and to be intimate how much it weigh . With Honda behind its development , ASIMO continues to be one of the most technologically advance automaton on the planet .
Honorable Mention: DRC-HUBO
develop by Team KAIST from South Korea , this robot make out to win the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challengein Pomona , California . DRC - HUBO managed to beat out 22 other robots , winning the $ 2 million grand pillage , but its “ transformer - like ” ability was — in our ruling — a form of cheating , and not very human - alike .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGOUSvaQcBs
We excluded DRC - HUBO from our leaning , as noteworthy as it is , because a important parcel of its success stems from the fact that it can move in very non - human like agency . Specifically , it ’s equipped with wheels on its knees , allowing it to overcome many of the challenge present by true bipedal robots .
During the contender , the robot complete all eight tasks in the short amount of time , such as open a door or operate a drill , while avoiding many of the catastrophic falls experienced by its competitors . With it ’s knee joint - wheels , it ’s not a unfeigned humanoid robot , but it ’s still an impressive feat of applied science .
Taken together , it ’s clear that roboticists are slowly but sure as shooting overcoming the technological hurdles require to construct a credible humanoid golem . finally , a robot will be develop that passes the so - called Turing Test for a turn of capabilities , whether they be physical or psychological . As to whether or not these machines will be witting , emotional , and ego - reflective in the ways that humans are , that ’s another question altogether .
AndroidsFuturismRoboticsRobotsScienceTechnology
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