News

Walking wheelchair hatched

JAPANESE researchers have unveiled the world’s first two-legged robot capable of carrying a human being.

AustralianIT.com in Wired.com

It is expected help wheelchair-bound people and move heavy objects on uneven surfaces.

The prototype robot, codenamed WL-16, took two years to develop in a joint project involving the Science and Engineering Department of Tokyo’s prestigious Waseda University and robot maker Tmsuk, based in the southern Japan city of Kita Kyushu.

The battery-powered robot, basically an aluminium street-cafe chair mounted on two sets of telescopic poles bolted to flat-plate feet, can move forwards, backwards and sideways while carrying an adult weighing a maximum of 60kg.

"This biped robot, which I prefer to call a two-legged walking chair rather than a wheelchair, will eventually allow disabled people to go up and down stairs," says Atsuo Takanishi, professor at Waseda’s Science and Engineering Department.

Tmsuk chief executive Yoichi Takamoto says his company wants to develop a practical robot, arguing biped or multi-legged types are more useful than caterpillar models on uneven ground.

But it will take "at least two years" to develop the prototype robot into a working model, Takamoto says.

The robot can adjust its posture and walk smoothly, even if the person it carries shifts in the chair.

At present, it is only capable of stepping up or down a few millimetres, but Takanishi’s team plans to make it capable of going up and down a normal flight of stairs.

WL-16’s normal walking stride measures 30 centimetres, although it can stretch its legs to 1.36 metres apart.

The prototype is radio-controlled. Takanishi says the research team plans to equip it with a joystick-like controller for the user.

Agence France-Presse

http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,8012248%5E15397%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html

Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.