Tag: ‘Robot’

Bots play the fool at Baka RoboCup 2007

17 Aug 2007

Baca Robo -- While competitions like ROBO-ONE and RoboCup give athletic robots the opportunity to show off their fighting and soccer skills, there are no major competitions that celebrate the robot's ability to make people laugh -- until now, that is. Baka RoboCup (baka means "foolish" or "stupid" in Japanese), a competition organized by entertainment giant Yoshimoto Kogyo, which is arguably Japan's most influential comedy production company, will pit humorous robots against each other in a comedy throw-down this November. Organizers hope the contest will inspire roboticists to devote serious attention to the art of creating impractical (but entertaining) machines.

After the October 5 application deadline, the producers will select the 8 most farcical robots and invite them to perform November 4 at Lumine the Yoshimoto in Shinjuku (Tokyo). There, each robot will have 2 minutes to entertain the audience and judges, who will include Nobumichi Tosa (president of nonsense instrument manufacturer Maywa Denki), manga artist Kotobuki Shiriagari, movie director Shinji Higuchi, and University of Electro-Communications professor Masahiko Inami. The 500,000 yen ($4,200) Grand Prize will be presented to the robot who draws the biggest laughs.

To qualify for the competition, aspiring baka-robo must satisfy 3 conditions: (1) they must be mechanical in nature (i.e. they must have moving parts), (2) they must serve no useful purpose (i.e. they must be as impractical and worthless as possible), and (3) they must make people laugh (with entertaining action, amusing features, systems that surprise or shock the audience, etc.). The robots also must be shorter than 240 cm (7 ft 10 in) and weigh less than 100 kg (220 lbs), and they are not allowed to use explosives or emit sparks or liquid.

The Baka RoboCup organization does not seem to have any clearly stated long-term objectives like their soccer-oriented RoboCup counterparts -- who aim to produce a team of robots capable of outperforming a team of world champion human players by the year 2050. However, a statement by Nobumichi Tosa on the BacaRobo website suggests one goal is to challenge the notion that robots must be regarded as serious machines that serve a practical purpose. That said, the serious pursuit of creating "frivolous" machines might play a useful role in the development of artificial intelligence, innovative mechanical features or social satire, suggests Tosa.

[Source: BakaRoboCup 2007 Official Site]

Toyota ‘DJ Robot’ quits band, becomes receptionist

14 Aug 2007

DJ Robo, Toyota's guide robot -- Toyota's "DJ Robot," a two-wheeled android belonging to a band of robot musicians that entertained visitors at the 2005 Aichi World Expo, has ditched its entertainment career for a job as a receptionist. DJ Robot's departure from the band comes as Toyota gears up for its debut of a new robot violinist this autumn.

The highlight of DJ Robot's entertainment career came at the 2005 Aichi World Expo, where it performed with Toyota's other musically-inclined Partner Robots -- a show-stopping bipedal android trumpet player and an ensemble of wheeled bots playing tuba, trombone, French horn and percussion. Unlike the other band members with their human-like artificial lips and dexterous hands that enable them to play brass instruments, DJ Robot has no special abilities other than the ability to rap, a skill that earned it a role as the group's MC. (Despite what the name "DJ" might imply, the robot has no turntable skills.)

Since the Expo, the 1-meter tall DJ Robot, which rolls around on a pair of Segway-like wheels, has been working to improve its ability to interact and communicate with humans. As a receptionist, the machine will use these skills to provide information, answer questions and show visitors around offices and exhibitions. DJ Robot's first gig will come at the end of August when it goes to work alongside human receptionists at the Toyota Kaikan Exhibition Hall at company headquarters in Toyota City, which sees more than 400,000 visitors per year.

In January 2008, the droid will begin working at Toyota's Nagoya office on the 24th floor of Midland Square, an office and shopping complex at Nagoya station, while additional versions of the robot will be rolled out at other company facilities at later dates. Toyota has yet to announce whether DJ Robot will be changing its name to better suit its new role as receptionist.

With its move into the robo-receptionist industry, DJ Robot clearly follows in the footsteps (and wheel tracks) of Honda's Asimo and Mitsubishi's Wakamaru, both of which have tasted some degree of success. While DJ Robot lags behind the competition in terms of experience, Toyota is confident its control technology will enable the bot to respond quickly and operate smoothly in its new environment. For now, Toyota plans to keep the robot employed at its own facilities, and there are no plans to put any models up for sale or rent.

Interestingly, DJ Robot's departure from the entertainment world comes as Toyota prepares to debut a new android that can walk around and play violin like a human.

Toyota worked long and hard to develop robot hands capable of playing the violin. In particular, the robot's left hand requires precise fingers that can press the strings properly, while the right hand needs to constantly adjust the amount of force used when holding and drawing the bow across the strings. According to Toyota, the advanced technology at work in these hands could eventually be put to use in humanoid robots that provide nursing care. In other words, whenever this robo-violinist retires, we can probably expect to see it get a job at a hospital.

The violinist will hook up with Toyota's other droid musicians to form a "robot orchestra," which is scheduled to hold its debut performance this autumn as part of Toyota's 70th anniversary celebration.

[Source: Chunichi, Asahi]

“World’s smallest” gas turbine engine

09 Aug 2007

World's smallest gas turbine engine --

Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a working prototype of what they are calling the world's smallest gas turbine engine, a palm-sized motor they hope will one day be used to power autonomous robots and serve as a portable engine for personal transportation devices.

The research team led by professor Shuji Tanaka from Tohoku University's Nano-Precision Mechanical Fabrication Lab worked with researchers from IHI Corporation and the University of Tokyo to create the tiny engine, which measures 10 cm (4 in.) in diameter and 15 cm (6 in.) in length. With a 16 mm (0.63 in.) compressor rotor diameter and a 17 mm (0.67 in.) turbine rotor diameter and combustion chamber, the engine boasts a rotational speed of 500,000 to 600,000 rpm, which is made possible by special air bearings the researchers developed.

Unlike battery-powered engines that need to stop for periodic recharging, gas turbine engines can run continuously as long as fuel is supplied. Furthermore, gas turbine engines feature a higher power density than fuel cell and battery-powered engines, and they run cleaner than reciprocating piston engines.

With demand expected to increase for robots that use commonly available fuels and compact motors for personal transportation for the elderly, the Tohoku University researchers have been working with IHI since 2000 to develop a portable, lightweight and quiet engine able to operate for long periods of time between refuelings. After 7 years of work, they have broken the 20 mm diameter rotor barrier, a goal long shared by their microturbine-minded peers around the globe.

The engine has not yet been outfitted with a generator because it is still under development, but space has been set aside for it within the engine.

The engine will be officially unveiled at PowerMEMS 2007 scheduled for November 28-29 in Freiberg, Germany.

[Source: Nikkei Net]

‘Tondon’: Balinese-style robot janitor

02 Aug 2007

Tondon, robot janitor --- An autonomous robot janitor built by Subaru (Fuji Heavy Industries) and Sumitomo has landed a job cleaning the outdoor hallways of a new 14-story Bali-themed luxury apartment complex in Tokyo. Lovingly nicknamed 'Tondon' in an apparent reference to a legendary Balinese snake god, the robot is a close relative of RFS1, the autonomous floor cleaning robot that received Japan's 2006 Robot of the Year Award last December.

Like the RFS1, which currently cleans hallway floors inside ten Tokyo-area office buildings, Tondon works unsupervised and relies on an optical communication system to control the building's elevators, allowing it to move freely from floor to floor as needed. To improve the robot's ability to clean gritty outdoor surfaces, Tondon's makers have added a set of heavy-duty brushes designed to sweep up leaves and dirt from hallway floors and drains. Furthermore, Tondon's outer shell has been strengthened and waterproofed to protect its internal components from the elements, and it has been painted with a unique design to complement the apartment building's Bali-themed decor.

Tondon also has a number of safety features that help it better coexist with the building's residents, including proximity sensors that help prevent collisions with people, as well as bumper switches that stop the robot in its tracks when it is touched. A protective guard around the brushes prevents the robot from giving people unwanted shoeshines, while lamps and voice announcements provide ample warning when it is approaching.

A set of video cameras has also been added to the robot. With four cameras that record the robot's every move and a hard disk that stores the video feed, human overlords can keep close tabs on Tondon to make sure it doesn't nap on the job. The cameras can also be used for hallway surveillance, the company says, allowing the robot to double as a watchful security guard as it cleans.

[Source: Fuji press release]

Halluc II: 8-legged robot vehicle

26 Jul 2007

Halluc II --

On June 25, researchers at the Chiba Institute of Technology unveiled a working prototype of the Halluc II, a robotic vehicle with eight wheels and legs designed to drive or walk over rugged terrain. The agile robot, which the developers aim to put into practical use within the next five years, can move sideways, turn around in place and drive or walk over a wide range of obstacles. The researchers hope the robot's abilities will help out with rescue operations, and they would like to see Halluc II's technology put to use in transportation for the mobility-impaired.

The operator can put Halluc II into one of three modes depending on the terrain -- Vehicle, Insect or Animal mode. In Vehicle mode, Halluc II drives around on its eight wheels, and as it moves over uneven surfaces, each of the legs moves up and down in sync with the terrain to provide a smooth ride that keeps the cab at a constant height. In Insect mode, Halluc II does not use the wheels; instead, it walks with an insect-like gait, with its legs extended outward from the cab. In Animal mode, Halluc II keeps its legs directly beneath the cab while it walks, allowing it to pass through tight spaces. With wireless LAN capabilities and a system of cameras and sensors that monitor the distance to potential obstacles, Halluc II constantly assesses how best to adjust the position of its legs and wheels.

Here's a short video of the model in action.

Halluc II's design calls for a total of 56 motors -- 2 for each leg joint (3 joints per leg), plus 1 for each wheel. Equipping each joint with 2 motors provides the legs with abundant power and allows for a smoother ride, say the researchers, who have devoted a great deal of attention to the cutting-edge multi-motor control system, a key component of Halluc II's design.

According to Mr. Yoshida, chief researcher at Chiba Institute of Technology's Future Robotics Technology Center (fuRo), the expensive price tag of high-precision motors poses some challenges, but as costs come down in the future, it will become easier to incorporate greater numbers of motors into drive systems. Halluc II appears to be a more advanced version of fuRo's 8-wheeled Hallucigenia01 robot created in 2003.

In designing Halluc II, the researchers have enlisted the help of renowned industrial designer Shunji Yamanaka, who has worked on everything from furniture and watches to robots and transportation. "Human beings have a large number of muscles, which allows for a great degree of freedom," says Yamanaka. "By incorporating greater redundancy into the vehicle's functions, we can give it more flexibility and speed and enable it to continue operating even when obstacles are in the way."

The Halluc II prototype is scheduled to go on display at Miraikan in Tokyo beginning August 1. At the exhibit, visitors will be allowed to operate the vehicle from a remote-control cockpit with a large screen showing real-time video shot from the onboard camera.

[Source: Nikkei BP]

UPDATE: Robot Watch also has a lot of great photos and videos. Here's a clip showing Halluc II in Insect mode and Animal mode. I can't wait to drive one through rush-hour traffic.

MOTOMAN: Industrial-strength taiko drummer

23 Jul 2007

Yaskawa MOTOMAN robots play taiko drums --

As industrial equipment manufacturer Yaskawa Electric forces the MOTOMAN robot out of its comfort zone on the factory floor, we see it quickly acquiring new skills. First the robot developed the ability to sort mail. Now it has learned to play taiko drums.

On July 21, a team of four MOTOMAN machines -- two dual-armed MOTOMAN-DIA10 robots and two MOTOMAN-HP3 welding robots -- gave a special taiko performance at the nearly 400-year-old Kokura Gion Daiko Festival in Kitakyushu, which is famous for its traditional drumming competition. Organizers invited the robots to spice up the special opening ceremony for the competition's 60th anniversary. The robots -- the first ever to play taiko drums at the ancient festival -- were paraded through the crowd of spectators on a float while they performed.

Yaskawa worked with festival organizers for four months to teach the robots the proper rhythm, technique and choreography for the performance, which was seen as a success. Here's a short video.

[Source: Robot Watch]

Human resource agency hires Wakamaru robot receptionists

12 Jul 2007

Wakamaru ---

When Mitsubishi put its Wakamaru receptionist robot up for hire last month, it was clearly just a matter of time before the droid would actually find work. On July 11, People Staff, a major temporary staffing agency based in Nagoya, announced it has accepted 10 of the robots as dispatch workers and is ready to send them out to work at businesses and institutions in the Tokai area of central Japan.

The 1-meter (3 ft. 3 in.) tall, 30-kilogram (66 lb.) Wakamaru, who moves around on wheels and features a bright yellow shell and kooky smile, was developed in 2003 by Mitusbishi, who wanted to create a servant robot able to carry out a range of household chores. Wakamaru appeared at the World Expo in Aichi in 2005, and has since become one of Japan's most recognizable robots.

In terms of job skills, Wakamaru can recognize faces, carry on simple conversations with a vocabulary of 10,000 words, and perform simple manual tasks. More importantly for its expected job as a receptionist in offices and hospitals, Wakamaru is adept at thanking visitors for waiting and can sing songs as it shows the visitors to their destination within the building.

Wakamaru's paycheck can reach as high as 120,000 yen ($1,000) per day for short-term gigs, but the wage decreases dramatically for longer-term contracts, to as low as 3 million yen ($25,000) for one year, which is on par with a flesh-and-bone human temp worker.

A spokesperson for People Staff said, "As Japan's labor shortage expands, we would like to create an environment where humans and robots can work more closely together."

No word yet on whether People Staff has any plans to change the company name.

[Source: Sankei Web]

Worker bot sorts packages

10 Jul 2007

Yaskawa robot --- Industrial robot maker Yaskawa Electric has teamed up with megaconglomerate Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and packaging system manufacturer Hokusho Co., Ltd. to develop a parcel sorting system that employs agile robot workers capable of quickly classifying and separating small items such as mail packages and clothing. The system, now being demonstrated at one of Hokusho's factories, employs Yaskawa's Motoman-DIA10, which features a pair of smooth-moving, seven-axis robotic arms mounted on a human-sized torso.

Yaskawa joined forces with Mitsui in 2006 with the aim of developing new types of robots that can play a role outside the manufacturing sector and help support Japan's shrinking and graying population (and workforce). As the first step toward that goal, the companies have combined the Motoman-DIA10 with Hokusho's piece assorting system (PAS) technology to create a robot that works quickly and can be easily moved to and from its work station, making it an ideal backup or replacement for human workers engaged in sorting operations.

In the demo system, the robot picks up a package as it arrives at its station, reads the attached barcode to understand the package's destination, and places it on the appropriate conveyor belt to send it on its way. In the past, robots have been slow to land jobs performing light operations such as this, because humans have a proven track record of working faster. However, this robot is able to sort about 1,000 items per hour -- just like a seasoned human pro.

The companies have yet to put a price tag on their new workers.

[Sources: Asahi, Yaskawa press release]

HRP-3 Promet Mk-II blue-collar robot

21 Jun 2007

HRP-3 Promet Mk-II ---

The HRP-3 Promet Mk-II, a blue-collar android tough enough to trudge through heavy rains, carry out disaster relief operations and work in environments hazardous to humans, demonstrated its skills at a June 21 press conference at Kawada Industries headquarters in Tochigi prefecture. In addition to flaunting its ability to walk on slippery surfaces, the robot showed off its electric screwdriver wielding talents by taking the opportunity to tighten up some loose screws.

The 1.6 meter (5 ft 3 in) tall, 68 kilogram (150 lb) robot, sometimes lovingly referred to as "Ma-kun," is the latest fruit of a 5-year joint effort by Kawada Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) to develop a humanoid robot with sufficient skills to enter the workforce. This latest HRP incarnation features tougher hardware to make it more suitable for work in adverse environments, as well as improved balance and the ability to move its body parts in a more complex, coordinated fashion.

As with previous HRP series robots, the HRP-3 Promet Mk-II -- which cost 400 million yen ($3.3 million) to develop -- was designed by mecha creator Yutaka Izubuchi, who is well-known for his work on anime such as Gundam and Patlabor. Depending on how the droid is programmed, it can either work autonomously or be operated by a human via a wireless remote control system.

Ma-kun's creators say they hope to one day see it land a dirty, dangerous job.

(UPDATE: For lots of short videos, go to THIS PAGE, scroll down to the second group of photos, and click on the links under each picture -- WMV format.

...Or better yet, check out the remix version set to Senor Coconut's funky cha-cha-cha version of Kraftwerk's classic "The Robots.")

[Sources: Chunichi, AIST press release]

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