IStruct - evolution continues
Only about three months it took a monkey robot iStruct, created in the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence ( DFKI ), in order to repeat millions of years of evolution and go to upright walking.
Work on robots, which are planned to be used to study lunar craters for the presence of ice in them, began in early March.
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The dimensions of the robot are 66 x 43 x 75 cm, weight - 18 kg. In the back of the torso there are batteries, which are the power source. In the area of ​​the "thorax" located control units and communications.
There is no rigid connection between the front and rear parts of the case. Instead, they created an analogue of the spine, consisting of hinge elements and providing flexibility and the possibility of displacement.
The robot is equipped with numerous sensors that can determine pressure, angle of inclination, distance, temperature, the presence of obstacles and several engines that allow you to adjust body position depending on the nature of the surface. The accuracy of the movements of the robot is how high that allows you to maintain balance and balance on surfaces with varying angle of inclination.
Initially, the robot moved on four limbs. The researchers suggested that such a method of movement would allow robots to move more easily on rough terrain, overcome obstacles and rocky terrain, compared with wheeled or tracked robots, and four points of support will increase its stability.
Then the developers thought that it would be good to allow the robot to climb on its hind legs, thereby providing an increase in visibility and the ability to manipulate the forelimbs. Now the robot can not only move on all fours, but also stand confidently on two legs, rotating the spine and moving the forelimbs. This was made possible thanks to the complex structure of the “foot”, on which sensors are placed that ensure the multipoint contact of the robot’s foot with the surface and are associated with the ankle drive.
It is not known when iStruct can start exploring other planets. Immediate perspective for him is an international conference on robotics , which will be held in Tokyo in early November.
Work on robots, which are planned to be used to study lunar craters for the presence of ice in them, began in early March.
')
The dimensions of the robot are 66 x 43 x 75 cm, weight - 18 kg. In the back of the torso there are batteries, which are the power source. In the area of ​​the "thorax" located control units and communications.
There is no rigid connection between the front and rear parts of the case. Instead, they created an analogue of the spine, consisting of hinge elements and providing flexibility and the possibility of displacement.
The robot is equipped with numerous sensors that can determine pressure, angle of inclination, distance, temperature, the presence of obstacles and several engines that allow you to adjust body position depending on the nature of the surface. The accuracy of the movements of the robot is how high that allows you to maintain balance and balance on surfaces with varying angle of inclination.
Initially, the robot moved on four limbs. The researchers suggested that such a method of movement would allow robots to move more easily on rough terrain, overcome obstacles and rocky terrain, compared with wheeled or tracked robots, and four points of support will increase its stability.
Then the developers thought that it would be good to allow the robot to climb on its hind legs, thereby providing an increase in visibility and the ability to manipulate the forelimbs. Now the robot can not only move on all fours, but also stand confidently on two legs, rotating the spine and moving the forelimbs. This was made possible thanks to the complex structure of the “foot”, on which sensors are placed that ensure the multipoint contact of the robot’s foot with the surface and are associated with the ankle drive.
It is not known when iStruct can start exploring other planets. Immediate perspective for him is an international conference on robotics , which will be held in Tokyo in early November.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/197270/
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