Attack of the Humanoid Robots 
They walk. Some talk. And you might be able to get one soon
From: Electronic Design - 06/29/2006 - page 66
By: William Wong

Robotics is a lot harder than it looks. But that's what makes it so
challenging. Rolling, flying, and walking robots are hard enough to build.
Now try creating a robot in human form. Yet the state of the art continues to
improve by leaps and bounds, including a few robots that are starting to do
just that.  

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Buying Robots For Your Health
By keeping the problems of humanoid robots in perspective, many companies are
now developing practical and economical solutions. Granted, their movement
and user interaction may be less sophisticated than Honda's ASIMO or Hanson
Robotics' Einstein. But many applications can benefit from a simpler mobile
robot.  

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries plans to release Wakamaru in Japan sometime next
year for the home healthcare market. The robot should be available for 1
million yen, or about $8300. Costs for this class of robots could drop
further as volume increases and hardware and software improve.  

Wakamaru was named after a young Japanese samurai, Minamoto Yoshitsune, whose
childhood name was "Ushi-wakamaru." Both Wakamarus are associated with
"growth" and "development."  

The 63-lb, 3-ft fully autonomous robot has a round yellow head and black
eyes. It has a built-in cell phone that can call for help if it detects an
emergency. Its camera, microphone, and identification software can identify
people through facial and voice recognition. It has 13 DoF, including two for
its wheels. Rolling is still more power-efficient and stable than walking.  

Wakamaru is powered my MontaVista Software's Linux running on Texas
Instruments TMS320C6000 and TMS320C2000 DSPs. It will be able to make phone
calls, send e-mails, and remotely track individuals. Researchers hope the
software will be able to detect the daily rhythm of life as the robot speaks
and interacts with people. 

Although Wakamaru doesn't have an especially expressive face, it can turn its
head and gesture with its arms to get similar results. Its cute form and
color are designed to appeal to children as well as adults. It has about a
10,000-word vocabulary, and it should be able to keep track of up to eight
people within a family or group. 

Wakamaru does use some interesting techniques. For example, it has a camera
that looks straight up. It uses the ceiling image to help track its movements
throughout a house. This enables the robot to locate its charger when its
batteries run low after about two hours of operation. 

Robots are being built using the latest technology, from six-axis force
sensors and gyroscopes for input to multiple core processors for faster
response and more computing power. Advances in hardware have made lifesized
robots possible, but the software will provide the human interaction. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.elecdesign.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=12830&pg=1

Photo:
http://www.elecdesign.com/Files/29/12830/Figure_04.jpg

Photo caption:
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' Wakamaru isn't as nible as ASIMO or expressive
as Kismet, but it may be more practical. It may even be available in Japan
for $8300. 

Related articles:
Humanoid Robots on the Rise: Get Ready to Invite One Home
http://www.elecdesign.com/Articles/ArticleID/11297/11297.html

Will Androids Become A Part Of Our Everyday Lives?
Japanese Scientists Are Betting On It
http://www.electronicdesign.com/Articles/ArticleID/12963/12963.html

Links:
Life with a Robot: Wakamaru
http://www.mhi.co.jp/kobe/wakamaru/english/index.html

Wakamaru Bot at Your Service
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,58593,00.html

Wakamaru - From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakamaru

Wakamaru - Life With A Robot (Video)
http://www.robots-dreams.com/2006/01/wakamaru_life_w.html

