Software For The Most Advanced Japanese Robot Will Be Programmed By Spain
Written by Allan on November 28th, 2008The most sophisticated humanoid robot in the world, which physically resembles a human being, and is designed in Japan, will hone its skills in Spain. The University has announced it will be programmed by experts from the Robotics Lab of the Carlos III University in Madrid to look after sick and disabled patients or move beds in hospitals. Two teams of scientists, one from Spain and one from Japan, working in close collaboration in a joint research laboratory with centres in both countries, are providing the training for the robot, named HRP2, which will equip it to carry out domestic, social, health, space, surveillance and aid missions amongst others.
The decision to locate in Spain (the robot is not being marketed outside Japan) is the result of an ambitious agreement signed during the recent visit to Japan last week, by the King of Spain who was accompanied by the Minister for Science and Innovation, Cristina Garmendia, to formalize the development of several joint research projects.
The robot’s body has a human appearance, 1.60m tall and weighing 50kgs (batteries included) with a thin outer casing to hide its sophisticated innards. It also has arms, hands, legs and a head with a total freedom level of 32 degrees - the technical specification for the type of movement of his joints.
The Future.
Montserrrat Torné, Head of the Ministry for Science and Innovation’s department for International Cooperation and Carlos Balaguer, Vice-Rector for Research at the Juan Carlos III University disclosed to the Efe news agency that the robot is due to arrive in Spain next summer and to be functioning for next October, although we’ll have to wait until 2010 until HRP2 is fully operational.