Wednesday, March 14, 2007

RoboSapien

Lim Jun Ming Kelvin U036328m U0303229@nus.edu.sg
RoboSapien is the first robot to be built based on applied biomorphic robotics. Biomorphic robotics is a sub-discipline of robotics focusing on emulating the mechanics, sensor systems, computing structures and methodologies used by animals.
Loaded with attitude and intelligence, RoboSapien is packed with an overwhelming number of features. RoboSapien has six touch sensors, as well as a speaker and microphone for basic audio functionality. It is able to walk with two different speeds, turn and has full functional arms that can grip objects and throw. In total, RoboSapien has 67 executable commands.
RoboSapien can also be programmed to perform a series of movement commands up to 84 steps. The program can then be saved for execution later. It is also possible to program Robosapien to perform a certain set of actions when it comes in contact with something or when it ‘hears’ a noise. For example, it can be programmed to start dancing when something touches its right hand or when it ‘hears’ someone shouting “dance”.
Robosapien was designed to be easily modified to encourage the community to add their own unique function to the robosapien. At the RoboCup German Open 2005 tournament two teams of three Robosapiens each played the first soccer match of humanoid robots worldwide. The head of the robot was replaced by a PDA and a camera was used to allow the robot to take in information about the environment. A control program would then react to this information input and give the appropriate output.
Links:
Lim Jun Ming Kelvin (U036328m)

1 comment:

Home said...

Lee Kaizhao U036122x

Wow! This robot really sounds like a cool gadget to have! The website mentioned that this toy “is expected to appeal to boys from 8 to 80”. I can certainly see why!

In one of the articles in the link, the creator, Dr Tilsden, an ex NASA scientist, said that this Robosapien “does have a digital brain but it is only as smart as a calculator… his real computation comes from an adaptive design and resonant physics” This goes to show that in order to make a humanoid robot commercially successfully, the robot need not have a super-brain capable of processing thousands of commands.

Thanks, Kelvin, for pointing out that Robosapien was used to play soccer recently in Robocup German 2005. That certainly cleared my ignorant misconception that Robcup was only played by robots used in our EE4306 lab.