There are plenty of humanoid-looking robots out there, but very few actually have bodies that are particularly analogous to our own when it comes to moving and interacting with the environment. Japanese researchers are working to remedy that with a robot designed specifically to mimic not just human movements but the way humans actually accomplish those movements. Oh, and it sweats.
Kengoro is a new-ish robot (an earlier version made the rounds[1] last year) that emphasizes flexibility and true humanoid structure rather than putting power or efficiency above all else.
As the researchers explain in their paper, published today[2] in Science Robotics:
A limitation of conventional humanoids is that they have been designed on the basis of the theories of conventional engineering, mechanics, electronics, and informatics.
By contrast, our intent is to design a humanoid based on human systems — including the musculoskeletal structure, sensory nervous system, and methods of information processing in the brain — to support science-oriented goals, such as gaining a deeper understanding of the internal mechanisms of humans.
The paper uses Kengoro and similar robot, Kenshiro, as examples of how to accomplish that intent; indeed the whole issue of Science Robotics was dedicated to the concept of improving anthropomorphic robotics.
It’s important, they explain, to imitate human biology wherever possible, not just where is convenient. If your robot has powerful arms but a stiff, straight spine and no neck, that may be better for lifting heavy items — but it just isn’t how humans do it, and if human-like motion is actually desired, you essentially have to put in our weaknesses as well as our strengths.
And truly human-like motion should be desired, if a...