bipedal robot for bipedal humans
Lo and behold, while we are playing with soccer robots on wheels, the students in Waseda University have built a 2 foot tall bipedal robot. It uses a combination of hydraulics and algorithms to stroll along gracefully. The WL-16IV’s (Waseda-Leg Number 16 Refinement Four) main characteristic is that it is able to climb stairs. A robot like this is definitely not rehabilitative, because it will just encourage humans to be lazier (if there is such a word), but it is definitely assistive. Imagine this allow wheel bounded patients to be able to negotiate stairs or other uneven terrain, something that wheels are just not able to accomplish. Similarly, imagine the technology on balancing on bipedal with hydraulics being used on other areas. Anyone watched Aliens 2? Remember the scene which Ripley was battling the alien with a bipedal machine robot used for carrying heavy and bulky crates? I guess WL-16IV is the grand dad of Ripley’s robot. Currently, I would think that the most advanced bipedal robot is Honda’s Asimo. What differentiate WL-16IV from Asimo is that WL-16IV uses hydraulics rather than electric motors, this enable it to handle heavy loads, such as the person sitting on top of it. Well, ten years ago, I would say ‘a picture paints a thousand words’, but here in 2007, its ‘a video paints a thousand pictures’. Shaw Ray U036444H.
[1] http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/06/wasedas-two-legged-stair-climbing-robot-in-action/
edit: incase some of u not sure which robot in the movie Aliens 2 i was talking about. here i found a picture of it. just folllow the link.
http://imdb.com/gallery/ss/0090605/IMG0013.jpg.html
