Japanese Roboticist Builds Helper Robot Out of Off the Shelf Parts | |
Japanese Roboticist Builds Helper Robot Out of Off the Shelf Parts Move over helper monkeys, there's a new non-human assistant slowly shuffling into town. An amateur roboticist in Japan has constructed a humanoid helper robot using only off-the-shelf components. The robot, called THKR-4, was an entrant in the 3rd ROBO-ONE Humanoid Helper Project, held in Yokohama, Japan. In an early New Year celebration, THKR-4 walks to the fridge, opens it, and takes out a small bottle of what looks like champagne. The video then cuts to the robot pouring a drink, which is a little nerve-wracking, as it never seems to have that good a grip on the bottle. The robot also pulls the string on a party popper, and gives one of the men in the video a shoulder rub. Well, a shoulder poke anyway, as its fingers don't look like they actually move. It's not clear whether the robot is autonomous, or has to be remote controlled. You never see a controller in the video, but the robot does have an antenna on its back, which might indicate it's being piloted by someone off-camera. Of course, that's just speculation and for all I know the robot might be hyper-intelligent and should be made president of the world. Obviously, THKR-4 isn't going to revolutionize the service industry just yet, but it's a good step towards robotic assistants, and all the more impressive when you consider that it was essentially built by a hobbyist. Source: Robots Dreams via Dvice | |
It must be killed before it's too late. | |
Well now that is impressive. Given the off-the-shelf build, I mean .. though my money is on remote control I guess. Between the sounds of a computer in the background and the antenna, and the fact that new robots basically need custom operating systems to my knowledge in order to be autonomous, which take weeks to months of full-time work to put together.. Still, yeah, can't be sure, but it's definitely saying something about the position robotics has gotten to that the robot was made without the use of custom-manufactured parts. | |
I for one welcome our new robotic under-servants. | |
Apple is gonna patent this, make Irobots. So that in 2015 we will all have our own autonomos Will Smith! *puts on sunglasses* yeeeeeaaaahhh! | |
Looks nice. Though, a bit hilarious as he stomp-walk-turns LOL. | |
I'm honestly tired of these crappy robots. They're all the same and the "demonstrations" that robots can perform as of now are useless in practicality. I'd rather they kept the robots in their little labs until they can do something decent. Well actually, this guy is a hobbyist so that's pretty cool, but I guess I took the opportunity to comment on the bigger manufacturers. | |
Holy brains on that guy. builds bipedal robot with articulating arms and hands from off the shelf parts as a hobby... funny that the robot has buttocks XD | |
Would have been so funny if the robot pulled the popper and then fell over backwards due to the force of it, R2-D2 style. | |
Even IF it is remote controlled, that is still rather impressive. | |
So we are going to give our robotic servents the crapiest jobs when they are massproduced... Jokes aside that is quite awesome for someone that build robots as an hobby. | |
LoL for that comment i award you this | |
I wonder if the creator will provide an instructional video for anyone who wants to build their own helper-bot. | |
And yet in the time it took to get his drink he could have poured, finished and poured another one. Pfft lazy japanese! More seriously that is pretty dam impressive making a functioning bot out of shelf parts although it does seem to be RC | |
It left the fridge open! | |
Can those Japs please design some better robot hands? They're just so out of place on this model: It's like robot skinned a human and wore their hands as a joke. | |
Humm. I agree that it could be and possibly being controlled by remote, but the fact that it was built by a hobbyist is pretty amazing.
I do also agree with this statement. On robots that have smaller builds then humans, they shouldn't have human sized hands. It looks crap. | |