Japanese running robot breaks new ground

University of Tokyo team uses high-speed camera system to increase speed

A team of engineers from the University of Tokyo has developed a new type of bipedal robot capable of running and somersaulting by using high speed cameras and actuators to coordinate its movement.

The team, led by Professor Masatoshi Ishikawa has run the 14cm tall actively coordinated high-speed image-processing running experiment system (Achires) at 2.6 mph for ten seconds. If an adult human-sized mechanism was built, the team said it would be capable of reaching speeds of up to 12.4mph, although the robot would require a high amount of power.

The robot takes six steps a second and leans forward to run. A high speed camera, recording at 600 frames per second, transmits that data to a computer which controls the balance of the robot and issues commands to Achires' actuators. The researchers said the system enables “instantaneous recognition and behaviour”.

Most two-legged robots use a control technique called Zero Moment Point (ZMP) to balance as they move, which is computationally very intensive and restricts fast movement. The speed at which Achires functions allows it to mimic the way a human runs, pivoting its hips forward but before losing balance kicking out against the ground.

The research team, which used the same camera-based technique to develop a robot capable of winning every game of rock-paper-scissors against a human, has the goal of improving robots' performance beyond human beings and demonstrated the robot somersaulting. Ishikawa said: “We also address somersaulting. While running, the robot takes a big swing with one foot and jumps. After takeoff, both legs are controlled to curl up for high-speed rotation in the air.

“Achires is going to be improved to push the limits while demonstrating various bipedal locomotion tests.”