SCHAFT's new walking robot doesn't have a name yet. The new walking robot can also climb up stairs and carry up to 132 pounds (via SCHAFT)
When Google's parent company was, Alphabet, was announced last year no one was sure what their output was going to be. Now, we have a better idea with the latest release from Alphabet's subsidiary company named SCHAFT, which originated at the JSK Robotics Laboratory at the University of Tokyo. The company hasn't done much over the past three years, but now the company introduced a new futuristic walking robot at the New Economic Summit (NEST) conference in Tokyo, Japan.
The robot doesn't have a name yet, but it does have a different design to Alphabet's other robots made by Boston Dynamics. It's stark white with a compact two leg design and central body that can be moved up and down to complete different tasks. It can lift 60 kg (132 pounds), travel over uneven terrain, and can even walk up stairs, a task that is usually beyond most robots. The new robot is also supposed to be lower costs, use less power, and actually be used by civilians.
At the conference, the robot was shown dealing with unsure footing, walking on uneven floors, step on a pipe and keep its balance, catching itself after trying to be tripped up, and maneuvering through tight spaces. The bot can apparently also clean a set of stairs with a spinning brush and vacuum attached to its feet. There's even a demonstration showing the bot walking without trouble holding a heavy weight. But don't get too excited for this bipedal robot just yet. According to sources, this SCHAFT presentation wasn't a product announcement. The team just wanted to share their latest progress on this product.
So far this is all we know about the new robot, but thanks to the demonstrations it looks promising. With the ability to walk on various terrains including snow, climb up stairs, and lift up to 60 kg could be a real help to people with disabilities or those who don't have the capacity to lift heavy objects. It also looks friendly than Boston Dynamics' large walking bots that look like something out of a sci-fi movie. If anything this shows the continued progress and future of robotic sciences.
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