Humanoid Powered by Linux

real time? by Beowulf_Boy · 2001-10-27 03:38 · Score: 1

It would seem to me that they would want to use a Real Time OS, such as QNX. Last I checked, I don't remeber of being able to make Linux Realtime.

Re:real time? by _SkiBum_ · 2001-10-27 03:44 · Score: 1

If you read the article you would have seen that they run RTlinux (http://www.rtlinux.org/), which _is_ realtime...

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Just a SkiBum stuck in the east...
Re:real time? by Ivan+Raikov · 2001-10-27 04:04 · Score: 1

There are two major projects whose purpose is to create a hard real-time kernel running on top of Linux -- RT Linux and RTAI.

There are also others, but they are a lot more immature than those two.

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Bush Lies Watch
Re:real time? by Skuld-Chan · 2001-10-27 04:40 · Score: 1

This a pretty common misconception - no only is there a realtime linux (rtlinux), but many embedded aplications work just fine on a near real time system - IE something that 99% of the time responds like a realtime computer, but isn't.
Re:real time? by jayant_techguy · 2001-10-27 08:44 · Score: 1

i'll love to be gifted that one

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Computer Help

Linux powered? by cperciva · 2001-10-27 03:44 · Score: 2

They may be running linux on the controller, but I wouldn't call it linux powered. Unless there are robot-control drivers built into the linux kernel, it isn't really "powered by linux" -- it is "powered by xyz robot-control code".

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Tarsnap: Online backups for the truly paranoid

Re:Linux powered? by Yokaze · 2001-10-27 03:53 · Score: 3, Insightful

Hmm, so a device is only powered by a certain OS if its integrated as module into its kernel?

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"Between strong and weak, between rich and poor [...], it is freedom which oppresses and the law which sets free"
Re:Linux powered? by Quizme2000 · 2001-10-27 04:31 · Score: 2

I kinda agree with your statement, and if you read the article on yahoo they say,
The RT-Linux OS is designed for robotic applications.
The kernal has been modified for this robot. Saying its not powered by linux because the robot specific controls are not in the kernal would almost be correct, if this was the case.

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"Get them before they get....
Re:Linux powered? by dakainivanua · 2001-10-27 08:37 · Score: 1

I think it really is linux powered- you just need to add in CONFIG_HUMANOID_ROBOT=y for the new AC trees.....

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The amount of beauty required to launch 1 ship: 1 Millihelen

Big Deal by Anonymous Coward · 2001-10-27 03:47 · Score: 2, Informative

A great many of the Japanese humanoid robots are powered by Linux. For example, the PINO microhumanoid from the ERATO Kitano Symbiotic Systems Project runs on RT Linux. I saw that one at IJCAI this year, very nice. Of course, the most famous of 'em all, Honda's P3, runs on Solaris. I hung out at the P3 facility at Honda in north Tokyo for a while while staying at Sony. They have a bunch of SPARC rackmounts stored in their backpacks, and run off a remote radio link controlled by UltraSparc stations sitting on a table a ways away.

I am constantly amazed how Slashdot can get its underwear bundled up in a wad over almost trivially insignificant, highly redundant facts.

Already done. by small_dick · 2001-10-27 03:49 · Score: 3, Funny

The cubicle next to me has been occupied by a linux-powered humanoid for the last two years.

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See my user info for links.

Re:Already done. by warpeightbot · 2001-10-27 04:16 · Score: 2

The cubicle next to me has been occupied by a linux-powered humanoid for the last two years.
Hell, that's nothing, my marriage has been Powered By Linux for the last three and a half years... ever since Windows ate her regsitry twice in as many weeks...
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You know the marriage is gonna last when you finally get the house network the way you both want it.

Yes, but can he move spinning gyroscopes? by RyanFenton · 2001-10-27 03:53 · Score: 1

Anyone else reminded of ROB the Robot from the old first American Nintendo release?

:^)

Ryan Fenton

Interesting... by Ivan+Raikov · 2001-10-27 03:59 · Score: 1

Curiously, there's a photograph of Bill Gates on the same page, in the lower left corner. Coincidence?

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Bush Lies Watch

looks by British · 2001-10-27 04:01 · Score: 2

It looks like a silver Pusher/Shover robot. does it protect you from the terrible secret of space?

Re:looks by jfisherwa · 2001-10-28 08:03 · Score: 1

I actually thought it looked more like a bending robot. An evil twin perhaps?

Terminator 3 - The penguines revange? by the_mind_ · 2001-10-27 04:06 · Score: 1

This opens up a few more option for all that Microsoft bashing that's going on...

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You feel sleepy. Close your eyes. The opinions stated above are yours. You cannot imagine why you ever felt otherwise.

OZ by Anonymous+Crawdad · 2001-10-27 04:07 · Score: 1

please ignore the man behind the curtain pushing a dolly of computers.

H6 information by c_monster · 2001-10-27 04:07 · Score: 1

Since the H7 page is already Slashdotted, perhaps some information on its direct ancestor, the H6 would shed some light.

Humanoid Robot H6 page

~chris

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Read the full text my book Perl for the Web

H6 and H7 information by c_monster · 2001-10-27 04:09 · Score: 1

Actually, it looks like the alternate site has both H6 and H7 information here:

H6 and H7 information page

~c

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Read the full text my book Perl for the Web

Wireless ethernet? by warpeightbot · 2001-10-27 04:21 · Score: 2

From the article:

The robot contains batteries and can communicate to a network via a wireless Ethernet connection.

Ye gods, I hope they didn't rely on WEP to secure that connection. I'd hate to see one of those things get 0wnEd...

Re:Wireless ethernet? by darc · 2001-10-27 04:46 · Score: 1

Humanoid...Linux...Anyone see these things as real life Quake 3 Bots?

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The programming model of the next millennium by Spootnik · 2001-10-27 04:23 · Score: 1

In short, the prelude to those horror movies like Brazil and 1984, with droids sitting in front of some totally network controlled 'bland looking, quasi dumb x-terminal', camera, keyboard & mouse monitoring every humanoid action. Sound like innovation to you. You guys make the Redmond crowd look like choir boys, from where I sit.

The videos are cool by Jon+Chatow · 2001-10-27 04:24 · Score: 2

... but unhelpful - sure, the movement's natural-looking, but how good is the software at analysing its environment to adjust its walking pattern, and so on; also, it evidently needs an in-built fusion pack to keep it going, or something - trailing wires is no fun in difficult conditions :-)

Basically, how useful is this prototype; IANAE, but I'd guess that this technology still has some years to go before being useful.

But I /still/ think it's cool.

PS: Of course, given it's running (RT-)Linux... "How about a beowulf cluster of these?" ;-)

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James F.

Re:The videos are cool by Quizme2000 · 2001-10-27 04:34 · Score: 2

PS: Of course, given it's running (RT-)Linux... "How about a beowulf cluster of these?" ;-)
I think that is the plot of Star Wars epII

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"Get them before they get....
Re:The videos are cool by t14m4t · 2001-10-27 04:56 · Score: 1

how good is the software at analysing its environment to adjust its walking pattern

This robot design is actually several years old; there have been several slashdot stories on it already. When I was in college taking a class on robotics and computer vision (3 years ago), one of the videos we were shown was this robot in action (it was a demo video). Some of the aspects we were seeing:

- It was finding its way around objects as people moved them, without slowing down

- If it's goal was to get a certin object, and that object was in motion, it could track that object, and follow it around without hitting/tripping over anything

- It could walk up and down a flight of stairs as easily and natural-looking as a human

I think the specific video we were shown was the predecessor to this one. As I understand it, this one has a wireless ethernet connection; the one I saw had a wire attached. However, that only means this one's actually BETTER than the one I saw.

One of the neat things about it is how well they've gotten bipedal locomotion down (translation for the linguistically impaired: "walking on two legs"). The first thing we saw was this thing walking toward us. My first thought was "Why would they show us a video of a guy is a plastic box?" Then it turned sideways. It's thickness (I think it was maybe as think as my outstretched hand) made it impossible to be a human. My next thought was "Wow!!!" They've got the walking thing down good; it looks EXTREMELY natural.

weylin

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67.5% Slashdot Pure I guess I need to work on that.... :)

Two humanoids alone in a room by Ukab+the+Great · 2001-10-27 04:28 · Score: 2

He twists her knobs, she watches his antenna rise.

Trick or treat by Man+of+E · 2001-10-27 04:33 · Score: 1

Imagine a linux-powered humanoid in a penguin costume knocking at your door...

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Ceci n'est pas une sig

seeking out the blue fairy by Jonathunder · 2001-10-27 04:50 · Score: 2

What I wouldn't give to be able to "unwatch" the last half of that stupid movie!

On the other hand, if only they could make the batteries in my cellphone or laptop last even a fraction of David's power source, it might be worth it. (How long did he and that bear sit watching that damm fairy?)

Re:seeking out the blue fairy by Reality+Master+101 · 2001-10-27 05:32 · Score: 1

The movie was deeper than you might think. Here's a great analysis site: http://www.mysteriesofai.com. Personally, I think that movie is unbelievably underappreciated.

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Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.

This is not news! by YouAreFatMan · 2001-10-27 04:56 · Score: 1

After all, hasn't ESR been a linux-powered humanoid for quite a while now?

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Robotiq.com is heavily tested on animals

SWM seeking FLPHC by waa · 2001-10-27 05:06 · Score: 1

Single white male seeking Female Linux-Powered Humaniod Companion.

hey... It can get cold over her in New England during those long Winter nights!

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Windows is not the answer.
Windows is the question.
The answer is "NO."

Motors and Gears by Reality+Master+101 · 2001-10-27 05:25 · Score: 3, Interesting

Whenever robots like this come up, the actuators always seem to use motors and gears. I've often that using that method is rather limiting, since they are very bulky.

Are there any good methods for more of a muscle-type actuator? Something very narrow that contracts. It seems like if you had something simple and cheap enough, you could use lots of them to give much better mobility.

I'm guessing there isn't anything really good, otherwise people would do it that way. Still, could you have some telescoping rod kind of thing with a coil to contract it? You wouldn't even need to go both directions -- just do what a muscle does, and wait for the opposing actuator to move it back out. It seems like there has to be something simpler that works better than motors and gears.

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Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.

Re:Motors and Gears by shoor · 2001-10-27 09:25 · Score: 1

I saw a documentary about robots one time. Some Japanese company spent a lot of money and developed a hydraulic robot modeled on the human body. If they had tried to use it in a Hollywood movie it would have been rejected because it looked and moved so much like a cheap effect of a man in a robot suit.

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In theory, theory and practice are the same; in practice they're different. (Yogi Berra & A. Einstein)

a female version? by robot-roger · 2001-10-27 05:54 · Score: 1

How long until there's a female version?
Beware of the linux powered sex godess!

Mirror of the videos by Turmio · 2001-10-27 06:22 · Score: 1

Maybe you find my 100Mbit/s .fi link faster than the original .jp site...
http://shakti.tky.hut.fi/slashdot/h7outside.mpg
http://shakti.tky.hut.fi/slashdot/h6homepage2.mpg

Nerds, Nerds, Nerds!!! by Jagasian · 2001-10-27 07:06 · Score: 2

Come on guys, if we are going to make a robot, why not make a really cool robot that can pick up chicks? Instead, this robot just looks like one of us nerds. We have failed to create our saviour "coolio chick-pickin-upper" robot that will help us get dates.
...and God created manbot in his image... as a nerd.

Re:Nerds, Nerds, Nerds!!! by Jace+of+Fuse! · 2001-10-27 07:31 · Score: 3, Funny

Come on guys, if we are going to make a robot, why not make a really cool robot that can pick up chicks?

What the heck are YOU talking about?

They need to make one that LOOKS like a chick! I want a hot and sexy chrome plated busty robo sex slave! Boo Yaa!

If they keep making robots that look like THAT they're never going to make it into the adult toy business!

How can that home robot market ever take off without backing the pr0n industry?

*snicker*

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"Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"

Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.

i cant resist by NevarMore · 2001-10-27 07:12 · Score: 1

Hmm wireless ethernet, dual P3's eh? how bout a beowulf cluster of these.

But seriously, I didnt see anything but im assuming its possible to use that wireless to allow 2 of these robots to work in coordination and send data back to a controller. Anyone got any more info on that aspect?

Re:i cant resist by Anonymous Coward · 2001-10-27 10:55 · Score: 1, Informative

Take a look at MIT's Kismet robotics project.

http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/sociable/baby-bit s. html

Run by a cluster of 9 QNX computers (400 MHz CPU on each computer) for all the important primary systems, a dual 450 MHz NT computer (for speech synthesis and voice affective intent recognition system) and a 500 MHz Linux computer (for speech recognition).

It really tells you how far advance QNX is in the "realtime" business.

All your concept are belong to GNU by yerricde · 2001-10-27 18:31 · Score: 1

For example, the PINO

they're missing either a CCHIO or a BEE

and they have funny Engrish. This is dangerously close to being an exact quote: All our concept are belong to GNU

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Will I retire or break 10K?

Humanoid picture by sela · 2001-10-27 19:03 · Score: 3, Funny

Funny ... when I first got to this page, the first humanoid picture I've seen was the one above "gates unveils XP". I didn't know he was running on linux after all ...

For a OUT of THIS world OS... by vortexau · 2001-10-28 01:50 · Score: 1

I recall when I first learnt of QNX,
that THIS OS was used in the Control System
of the Deployment Arm on the Space Shuttle!

Source-- AmigaFormat magazine published maybe
3 years ago, when Gateway2000 was the owner!

Regards,
JK

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(David Bowman, EVA near HUGE Monolithic Win-PC in orbit around Jupiter) "My God - its full of Malware!"

Look up air muscles... by cr0sh · 2001-10-28 08:13 · Score: 2

Here is a good site that gives a good reference on what are, and how they work.

The are electric linear actuaters as well, that work on a telescoping lead screw rod type system, as well as solenoid based, and SMA (shape memory alloy) actuators - however, none of these have as fast response times, and waste more power.

Even air muscles aren't perfect, but they are interesting...

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Reason is the Path to God - Anon

Coincidence? Humanoid? by Scoria · 2001-10-28 10:13 · Score: 1

The circled part...

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Do you like German cars?

A nice way... by rmezzari · 2001-10-29 02:42 · Score: 1

...of hacking it would be using one of these (www.realdoll.com) . Commands such as 'grep' and 'touch' would have a totally new meaning.
.

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"Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds !"

Nifty robot... by __4096 · 2001-10-29 03:58 · Score: 1

...but does it transform into a motorcycle and know kung fu?

Re:Linux powered? Maybe... by uberdave · 2001-10-29 12:59 · Score: 1

Maybe they're burning all of the floppies they made in the 0.x and 1.x kernel days. &ltgrin&gt

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"I'm not impatient. I just hate waiting." - My Dad

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