Comments on: Bipedal robot walks a tightrope

Bipedal robot walks a tightrope

stbalbach — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:10:50 -0800

Bipedal robot walks a tightrope.

Dr. Guero's website (English). Kondo KHR-3HV kit. Previously. via.

By: wierdo

wierdo — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:28:45 -0800

Bipedal robot shuffles feet along tightrope.

By: Ad hominem

Ad hominem — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:36:45 -0800

Whenever I see these amazing robots not only am I amazed by the robots I am amazed that people can do this stuff as well. The hundreds of samples and adjustments performed by sensors and motors in the robot are performed in humans without us even thinking about it.

By: oneswellfoop

oneswellfoop — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:54:36 -0800

This will either impress you with the robot's ability or annoy you with the roboticists wasting their time.

By: Pyrogenesis

Pyrogenesis — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 01:33:50 -0800

The choice of music is amazingly unsuitable!

By: louche mustachio

louche mustachio — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 01:45:13 -0800

Boston Dynamics seems to have conditioned me to expect videos of robots exhibiting some new form of locomotion to be terrifying. I'm a little sad about the nightmares I won't be having.

By: sodium lights the horizon

sodium lights the horizon — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 02:01:27 -0800

It's really odd how something quite so impressive as this neat balancing act can be ruined by it not living up to our expectations - namely that it didn't move one foot in front of the other. I mean that without snark - this is really quite cool, but it just triggered a disappointed noise from me... :/

By: knapah

knapah — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 02:17:42 -0800

It looks a bit like my most successful QWOP attempt.

By: quazichimp

quazichimp — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 03:09:15 -0800

Seems to this novice that a gyroscope in his abdomen might be enough to keep him upright and shuffling along. ...but it just does not seem to make sense. something is not right here. could it really balance that quickly? just seems there are too many variables.

By: HuronBob

HuronBob — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 03:32:57 -0800

There appears to be a half pipe type of fitting on the inside of each foot that sits over the "rope". Yeah, if it "walked" the tight-rope I would be impressed, this, not so much...

By: gronkpan

gronkpan — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 03:40:35 -0800

could it really balance that quickly? just seems there are too many variables. That tightrope looks more like a steel rod so there's no issue of wobbles.

By: m450n

m450n — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 04:47:06 -0800

It is a narrow steel blade, held under high tension (see the large steel tube below) -- much like a hacksaw blade. This blade fits into a slot in the robot's foot. I doubt that the robot could actually tip over and fall off of the "wire" in this arrangement. The movement is nicely choreographed, very fluid, but this is not a balancing act. Probably some active wobble cancellation, but not actual balancing.

By: howfar

howfar — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 05:17:53 -0800

I haven't "walked" like that since I quit drinking.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 05:34:57 -0800

Flying WALL-Enda

By: griphus

griphus — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 05:54:43 -0800

You told me those Wright boys had a flying machine. This is a fifteen-minute-gliding machine at best. YAWN. Call me when they do something impressive, I have important papers to re-arrange and will settle for not an iota under umnanned transcontinental.

By: howfar

howfar — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 06:15:30 -0800

The thing is, griphus, that I don't think this robot is actually even tackling the problem of balancing in the same way that the Wright gliders did the problem of aviation. It seem to me more like someone showing you a flying fox (zip-line) and telling you they've built a flying machine.

By: griphus

griphus — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 07:22:12 -0800

Nope, still gonna be impressed.

By: MuffinMan

MuffinMan — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 07:22:19 -0800

I think it's quite impressive. It has to step onto and off the "tightrope" - it has to balance on the thing and move - which you can see by its arms having to balance it. And despite the groove in its feet looks like it can fall off to me. This reminds me of the thread a while back of the mechanical donkey with a range of 20 miles - we're expecting current technology robots to just lick complex concepts like balancing on uneven objects or moving through uneven, obstacle-strewn ground. Although this is quite a cool balancing trick. Also, it gave a little self-congratulatory bow at the end. I like the idea that a robot can be programmed to be overly pleased with itself.

By: not that girl

not that girl — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 07:27:23 -0800

Thank you, griphus. The rest of you people...

By: mrgrimm

mrgrimm — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 07:42:04 -0800

I read it as "Bigot robot walks a tightrope" and now I don't care about the real story.

By: J.W.

J.W. — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:13:56 -0800

By: griphus

griphus — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:31:42 -0800

Oh my god the miniature basket with the individually painted miniature vegetables.

By: griphus

griphus — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:32:14 -0800

(But no baguette. SIGH.)

By: homunculus

homunculus — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:34:05 -0800

Gangnam Style

By: public

public — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:37:31 -0800

You don't need a fancy Japanese robot to ride a miniature bicycle, you just need to keep moving. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkhbyKHfLp4

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:02:07 -0800

griphus: "Nope, still gonna be impressed." Man tough crowed! Maybe I should have emphasized this is a $1800 hobby robot that anyone can buy, that was hacked by one person in his home, and not some multi-gazillion defense project with a team of 50.

By: griphus

griphus — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:07:45 -0800

I think you may have have misunderstood me.

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:12:54 -0800

Oh, sorry. Well, addressed to doubters of the wonderfulness of the miraculous tight rope walking robot created by evil genius Dr. Guero.

By: Orb2069

Orb2069 — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:37:33 -0800

I think it's actually balancing itself - Those solid-metal 'hands' on the ends of the arms are a nice touch. And pointing out that it's an 'off the shelf' kit/model without mentioning names like 'ROBONOVA-1' is just cruel - Though googling around for it DID bring me to this little guy, so thanks. :)

By: PhillipRLopez

PhillipRLopez — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:34:06 -0800

still pretty impressive despite the music

By: homunculus

homunculus — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:21:26 -0800

DARPA's latest humanoid robot jumps and climbs with athletic precision