Papers by Keyword: Humanlike Robots

Abstract: Humanoids are increasingly becoming capable biologically inspired robots that are appearing and behaving lifelike. Making humanlike robots is the ultimate challenge to biomimetics and, while for many years they were considered a science fiction, such robots are increasingly becoming engineering reality. Progress in producing such robots are allowing them to perform impressive functions and tasks. In 2012, in an effort to promote significant advances in developing humanoids, DARPA posed a Robotic Challenge to produce such robots that operate in disaster scenarios towards making society more resilient. The challenge was focused on the requirements that have been needed after the Fukushima accident in Japan, hoping to advance the field of disaster robotics. This disaster posed significant challenges to emergency responders since radiation prevented people from going into the station and venting the explosive gas. Another significant development in this field is the fact that major US corporations have entered into the race to produce commercial humanoids. As a result, one can expect significant and rapid progress in this field. Developing humanoids is critically dependent of the use of highly efficient, compact, lightweight actuators and electroactive materials are offering great potential. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art of humanlike robots, potential applications and challenges, as well as the actuation materials that are used or could be used.

Abstract: Since the Stone Age, people have tried to reproduce the human appearance, functions, and intelligence using art and technology. Any aspect that represents our physical and intellectual being has been a subject of copying, mimicking and inspiration. Recent surges in technology advances led to the emergence of increasingly more realistic humanlike robots and simulations. Making such robots is part of the field of biologically inspired technologies - also known as biomimetics - and it involves developing engineered systems that exhibit the appearance and behavior of biological systems. Robots with selectable characteristics and personality that are customized to our needs and with self-learning capability may become our household appliance or even companion and they may be used to perform hard to do and complex tasks. In enabling this technology such elements as artificial intelligence, muscles, vision, skin and others are increasingly improved. In this paper, making humanlike robots will be described with focus on the use of artificial muscles as the enabling technology and the related challenges.