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New Bipedal Robot Demoed by Google X Company (i-programmer.info)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the where's-my-R2-D2 dept.

SCHAFT, one of eight robotic companies in the Alphabet/Google X research facility, has unveiled a new armless bipedal robot which can climb stairs and carry up to 132 pounds, reports i-programmer.info. The one-meter tall robot "is essentially a pair of almost entirely straight legs which pivot from the top," and the robot can walk on snow or uneven surfaces, even staying upright while researchers tried to trip it. The as-yet-unnamed robot was introduced during a keynote address at the New Economic Summit in Tokyo given by Android Inc. co-founder Andy Rubin (who left Google 18 months ago). A SCHAFT spokesperson later added that the presentation wasn't a product announcement. "The team was simply delighted to have a chance to show their latest progress."

3 of 42 comments (clear)

  1. The pivot point on the leg can move by CanadianRealist · · Score: 3, Informative

    I had trouble picturing how a pair of straight legs which could only pivot would allow walking up and down stairs.

    If you watch closely in the video the pivot point on the leg moves up and down. The inside of the leg (meaning side towards the middle, not interior) has a track allowing the pivot point to move up and down the leg. Interesting idea which seems to work quite well.

  2. two steps backward. by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 4, Interesting

    What I don't understand is why Alphabet is selling off Boston Dynamics. Boston Dynamics is lightyears ahead of this little robot and they even got out of their military contract. So why sell Boston Dynamics just to regress to this bot?!

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    1. Re:two steps backward. by MrSteveSD · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Boston Dynamics is lightyears ahead of this little robot

      From what I've read, Boston Dynamics may have been misrepresenting the success of their robots via editing. A bit like someone filming themselves throwing a basketball over their shoulder and then uploading the 1 successful attempt out of 200 attempts. A soon as their bipedal robot was put to a live test at the Darpa competition, it seemed to be falling all over the place even on flat ground. This is sure to have rung alarm bells at google.

      This article springs to mind. http://www.popularmechanics.co...

      We really need to see long unedited videos of any new robots in action to have any confidence in their reliability.