Recently, a Japanese researcher Ryuma Niiima presented his unique development – Athlecte robot. For now, the robot is able to go to walk, he is able to take five steps before falling, but his gait is not at all like a gait of an ordinary robot. Its uniqueness is that its motor system is designed in the likeness of the human musculoskeletal system. The researcher claims that after a series of refinements of the hardware and software, the robot will be able to run faster than any person, and besides, more graceful.
Each leg of the robot has seven sets of various artificial muscles that are set in motion thanks to six pneumatic cylinders. Absolutely each of these muscles has an analogue in the anatomical structure of a person. The simplest part of the robot leg is its lower leg, which is a modified spring prosthesis, on the likeness of those used by disabled runners. For more similarity, the inventor on the robot Athlete put on black shorts.
Thanks to the inertial sensors located at the top of the body, the robot is able to maintain balance is not yet very effective, but soon this problem will be eliminated. With the help of information coming from contact sensors and tensoresistors located on the legs, the robot has a complete picture about the state and position of its spring legs. Its main difference from an ordinary gumanoid robot is that when moving, he uses his artificial tendons and muscles in order to tear his foot out of the ground and advance it forward, unlike a humanoid, which uses leisure joints for these purposes. It is thanks to this feature of its design that the robot is similar to an animal and humans.
At the moment, the Japanese inventor of Niiiam with his colleagues is improving the robot. And perhaps very soon, he will go to his first race.