NEXTAGE from Kawada has the versatility of performance we've come to expect from humanoid robots.
Sometimes when playing with a pet, I marvel at the power and versatility of my opposable thumbs. That little joint, and some modest brain power, is why a door is just another object to me, but a frustratingly impenetrable barrier to all save the most talented of dogs and cats. Looking at humanoid robots, I get the same sense of power, but in reverse. Extra joints and degrees of freedom give these machines the potential to surpass the manufacturing ability of most humans. Kawada’s latest humanoid robot, the Nextage, is set to outperform people working solo or in a collective. With versatile arms and precise movements, this could be Kawada’s answer to the SDA 10 Motoman. Check out Nextage opening the iREX 2009 conference and demonstrating its assembling prowess in the videos after the break.
Nextage’s spotlight position at the International Robot Exhibition this year reflects the growing focus on humanoid robots. While swarm, modular, industrial, and animal mimicking robots all have distinct advantages over the human form, they don’t impress the public quite as much as a robot that looks and performs like a person. And on a practical note, humanity has spent the better part of the last ten thousand years shaping the Earth to its own needs so an upright two-armed robot is more likely to succeed in our world. Whether its PR or a case of fitting in, research into humanoid robots is increasing their skill set both physically and mechanically. Watching Nextage assemble some Kawada tiles (second video), I’m not in awe of its speed, but I am impressed with how easily a human could be integrated into its work. Replace one of the three bots with a human…it wouldn’t change much. Which means, that in time, the reverse is likely to be true as well. As humans step out of manufacturing, robots will roll in. As fancy as our thumbs may be, a better system is on its way.
[Photo credit: Engadget]
[Video Credit: Kawada via RobotWatchImpress and Plastic Pals]
Tags: humanoid robotics, iRex 2009, Kawada, Motoman, Nextage
Share
When I watch a video like this, I always wonder — can the robots see what they’re doing, or are they just executing some pre-programmed actions? If they can see and are reacting to the changing environment then it’s a very impressive accomplishment. However, if the moves are programmed, then the robots would not be useful in an unstructured enviromnent, such as a home. In that case, a display like this is simply a PR gimmick.
Anytime they have music like that its a PR gimmick and no the robot was aware of anything the, the ribbon was stuck on its hand after it was cut. It looked like the guy next tot he robot wanted to pull it off.
[...] Nextage, the latest humanoid robot from Kawada, and the Motoman SDA 10 both put on impressive manufacturing demonstrations this year in the videos below. When watching the videos it is easy to see why factory workers should be terrified for their job security. The robots demonstrate agility with their hands, the ability to work together, and the ability to divide portions of a complex task amongst themselves. As with all robots these days, these humanoid manufacturing robots are superior to humans in strength, endurance, and dependability, but seem ill equipped to adapt to changing situations that have not been anticipated ahead of time. And yet the path is clear – these robots will get even more capable and adaptable with each passing year. Factory workers look out! [...]