Jordan T. Hariel
  • Blog
  • My Work
    • Oroktiv's Dream
    • The Book from the Basement
    • Kill Code Series >
      • Kill Code
      • Helper
    • The Land Between Days
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • My Work
    • Oroktiv's Dream
    • The Book from the Basement
    • Kill Code Series >
      • Kill Code
      • Helper
    • The Land Between Days
  • About Me
  • Contact

This Strangely Adorable Robot Walks Using A Drone On Its Head

8/17/2018

Comments

 
Picture
For many of us, walking is second nature. Most babies learn to walk by the time they're one, and as such, it's kind of something we take for granted.

For robots, the road to walking on two feet has been much more difficult. 

Take Honda's recently retired ASIMO robot, for example. Development on this humanoid bot started back in the 80s, and the finished product wasn't unveiled until the 2000s. When ASIMO was introduced to the world, it was the first robot to have the ability to walk like people--on two legs. Honda only just stopped working on ASIMO in June of this year. 

Honda's robot is impressive--he can climb stairs, dance, recognize people's faces, and more. But of course, that impressiveness came at a cost. Not counting the decades of development that went into ASIMO, the robot is decked out with a complex array of motors and sensors that total up to around $1 million. To achieve Honda's vision of having ASIMO-like robot helpers in homes across the country, the cost is going to have to drop way down.

How do we make bipedal (two-legged) robots feasible for everyone? For researchers at the University of Tokyo, the answer is strap a drone onto the top of them. Take a look at their Aerial-Biped bot in action: 
Essentially, the amount of development required for this robot is much less than, say, ASIMO. Obviously, this robot is not nearly as capable or complex as Honda's robot, and the lead researcher of the project says that the Aerial-Biped would be more suited for an "entertainment application" than any other kind of real-life application, according to IEEE Spectrum. 

Nonetheless, this type of technology is finding its way into other robots, such as the blimp-headed BALLU robot from UCLA. Impractical though it seems now, who knows? Your next robot helper may be an airhead.

I like talking about sci-fi, Star Wars, tech, and outer space every Monday. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out my other "Real Life Sci-fi" blog posts here. ​​​​​​​
Comments
comments powered by Disqus

    Author

    I'm a sci-fi/fantasy lover & writer who especially likes talking about Star Wars and futuristic tech. I like finding new things & finding the beauty in old things, especially in my "Everyday Snippets" series. I hope you'll join me on my blog and unleash your imagination!

    Categories

    All
    Cool Products
    Everyday Snippets
    General Sci Fi/Fantasy
    Polls
    Real Life Sci Fi
    Short Stories
    Star Wars
    Superheroes
    Who Would Win In A Fight?

    Archives

    May 2020
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016

Join my email list!

Picture

Subscribe to my monthly newsletter--delivering the best of science fiction, fantasy, tech, outer space and more straight to your inbox.

* indicates required

Get my latest short story, The Land Between Days!

Picture
Download It

Contact Me