Today we introduce the robot Justin, the latest example of the relentless pace of robot advancement. The Justin robot is impressive for its ability to dynamically and delicately grab and manipulate objects, performing actions such as pouring a glass or twisting off a cap.
Justin is a collaboration between the University of Napoli and the German Space Agency, DLR under a European project called Physical Human-Robot Interaction: Dependability and Safety. The robot has been known to the public for many months now, but has recently jumped into the spotlight based on its exhibition at CeBIT.
In the video below many of Justin’s capabilities are demonstrated. The video is a bit dry, but you won’t want to miss the portion of the video beginning at 2:10, in which the robot twists off a cap and then sprinkles spice into a container with excellent dexterity, followed by a pulp fiction dance.
The Justin robot features software algorithms that allows the hands and arms to dynamically react to their environment and to each other to avoid collision and complete tasks. Below is a cool picture of the advanced robotic hand developed for Justin taken from this presentation:
From the presentation:
A major step towards a universally applicable system was the integration of all motors, sensors, as well as power and communication electronics into the hand. Consequently, it can be mounted on any robotic arm or even be used standalone.
