Superbot Has Super Strength

After a hospital is equipped with a receptionist bot and a tissue-offering bot, what more could it possible need? That would be a human-sized android room attendant that can lift a 66 lb. package or a 145 lb. doll. Yasuo Kuniyoshi and his University of Tokyo team of engineers have developed the bot that stands an 61-inches tall and weighs 154 lbs. Sensor-based control gives the robot its strength.

“Large motors are not safe for use in household robots,” explains Kuniyoshi. “Only a small amount of power is applied at each of this robot’s joints, but it can successfully move heavy objects by using the tactile sensors to regulate how it lifts and carries things.”

The team is hoping that further work on their technology will allow the droids a place in the nursing or moving industries. We could certainly use one around here to take out some trash or carry us to our cars when it snows.

 

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