Over the past decades, industrial cybernetic devices have almost replaced man from dangerous, monotonous and heavy industries. In the near future, the expansion of service androids is forecasted. Humanoid robots will save the average person from routine household chores, will take care of the elderly, educate children with special needs.
First prototypes
In 1639, more than two hundred years of isolation of Japan from the rest of the world began. Trading was allowed in the port of Nagasaki to a few merchants from Holland and China, which allowed the unique Japanese culture to develop in its own way without any external influence. It was during this period that the dawn of "karakuri" dolls came.
In fact, these are the first humanoid robots with a clockwork, although some exotic models were set in motion by steam, water or pouring sand. Dolls entertained the people during mass festivities, were very popular in wealthy houses.
It was considered indecent to be interested in the internal structure of the "karakuri", and attention was paid to the appearance no less than to the drive mechanism.
Technology and Psychology
Japanese humanoid robots set a common development vector for developers of cybernetic devices around the world. The main difficulty in creating anthropomorphic systems is the need for multidisciplinary research. In a coordinated and coordinated mode, not only engineers and programmers, mathematicians and physicists should act, but also psychologists, sociologists, and historians.
Man is inconceivable without feelings. So for the complex model, in addition to hardware and software, the third component of the anthropomorphic system — emotions, is very important. Research in this area is carried out by special sciences that are closely related to the humanities - social robotics and robopsychology.
Humanoid robots, in addition to the ability to simulate the simplest mechanical movements, must have artificial intelligence, the functions of self-learning and adaptation.
What can an android do?
Humanoid robots master new specialties and skills, interact interactively with humans. The most impressive are the successes in mastering the following professions:
- Secretary Android greets visitors, talks about the services or products of the company.
- Waiter. The robot takes the order (either verbally or through the touch screen), transfers information to the kitchen, delivers dishes and counts the client (and does not require a tip!). Robocafes are very popular in South Korea.
- Guide. Guide. He will tell in detail about the exhibition, the exhibits presented.
- Teacher. Educator. It is very useful for children studying remotely, according to an individual program.
- Cosmonaut. At least there are two valid instances: the Japanese KIROBO and the American ROBONAUT 2. And if the first is intended only for communication with crew members (photographing, messaging), the second is capable of autonomously performing complex technical tasks in open space.
Anthropomorphic Warrior
Favorite brainchild of science fiction becomes a reality. Robots have been successfully mastering military specialties in the USA for a long time. True, we are talking about automated combat systems that have proven themselves during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Such devices successfully cope with reconnaissance and engineering tasks.
Fighting humanoid robots, due to the extremely high cost, exist in single copies as exhibition samples. For example, the manned android METHOD1, demonstrated by Korean developers. The walker can move its hands and move, simulating the movements of the operator. The huge humanoid robot has a height of 4 meters and a weight of 1.5 tons.
The Russian android has a more modest size, but it has much more functionality: pistol shooting, ATV control, and medical assistance. The robot is a military-adapted version of the earlier model SAR-401 (NPO Android Technologies), created for the needs of Roscosmos Corporation.
Japanese traditions
Ishiguru Hiroshi, a professor at the University of Osaka, Japan, and the Kyoto Institute of Advanced Technology, gained worldwide fame in 2006 by submitting to the public his exact cybernetic copy, Geminoid HI-1 (Geminoid HI-1). A huge number of sensors and servomotors allows the anthropomorph to imitate not only gestures, but also facial expressions of the prototype. The subsequent models (HI-2; F; HI-4; Q1) were even more realistic. In fact, the most humanoid robots are puppets controlled by the operator via a wireless interface.
According to the professor, it is much easier to achieve external similarity than to teach an android to think like a person and make decisions independently. The robotic footballers created by Ishiguru Hiroshi only schematically resemble a person, but they find the ball and, evaluating the position of the goal, send it right on target. The "iron" team of Ishiguru is five-time world champion in robofootball.
Charming humanoid from the Middle Kingdom
This beautiful creature is called Jia Jia. Loose black hair flows through a traditional Chinese dress. She will support a simple dialogue with a smile, knows how to navigate in space and even flirts with men. He has his fans around the world who dubbed her the "robot goddess."
Jia Jia is the first Chinese android created by engineers at the University of Science and Technology (Hefei, PRC). The development of the model and special operational support took about three years, and it is still far from perfect. Project manager Chen Xiaoping is sure that the followers of the “goddess” have a great future. Robots with developed artificial intelligence are eagerly awaited in hospitals, nursing homes, restaurants for simple work.
European humanoid robots
In the Old World, humanoid systems are created and improved as part of the ROBOSKIN project. The most famous models of CASPAR and iCub are small. The first was developed at the University of Hertfordshire (Great Britain) and is designed for communication and teaching children in a playful way. The response of CASPAR to touch, thanks to artificial skin with sensitive sensors, can be different and depends on the strength of tactile contact. With light tickling, the robot expresses satisfaction, with a strong jolt, it complains of pain.
The body of the iCub robot (Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa) has 53 degrees of freedom, and the android is also endowed with machine touch. Outwardly resembles a child 4 - 5 years old. Can crawl, manipulate objects, navigate the terrain.
US Government Order
The humanoid PETMAN (project author R. Player, Boston Dinamics) does not express any emotions at all for the simple reason that he does not have a head. It was commissioned by the government to test and test the quality of protective suits. The robot has the parameters of an average man: with a height of 1.75 m, its weight is 80 kg. PETMAN responds to physical exertion. Walking and running lead to increased breathing, increased body temperature and even sweat.
The robot is able to perform simple exercises: push up from the floor, crouch, crawl, etc. As a mover, the hydraulic drive and the cable system are still used. The developers promise that in the near future they will create a humanoid robot with autonomous power supply.
In 2014, two new ATLAS and CHEETAH models were introduced, with greater functionality and mobility, but still tied to an external power source.
Is the revolution coming?
Professor Mache Vardi (Computing Engineering, Rice University, Houston, USA) claims that there are no limits for automation and that machines will become much smarter and more perfect people over time. Every year, humanoid robots are used all over the world, if not to say love. Photos and videos on the Web are gaining millions of views, but meanwhile, the upcoming expansion of robots can significantly increase the proportion of unemployed. At risk are professions and positions that can be converted into binary code: telecom operators and checkpoints, cashiers, etc.
And the top 5 best humanoid robots are proof of this:
- GEMINOID-F - Robot Girl (Japan). The humanoid instance of Professor Ishiguro. Able to talk, smile, express mimically a whole palette of emotions and even sing. He played several roles in the theater.
- ASIMO - Android (Honda, Japan). In the arsenal - running, overcoming flights of stairs, playing soccer. It has a sophisticated machine vision system and a distributed sensor network. Able to open the bottle and pour the contents into glasses.
- Ro-Boy is a humanoid (Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland), all of whose details are created using 3D printing.
- FACE (Italy) - the most emotional of European robots. 32 drives make the muscles of the body and face very mobile.
- ALISA ("Neurobotics", Russia) - the most realistic android in Russia. 8 drive mechanisms, controlled from a gamepad.