The Samuel School of Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has developed Advanced Robotic Technology for Enhanced Mobility and Stability (ARTEMIS), a state-of-the-art humanoid robot. The robot will travel to Bordeaux, France, in July to compete in the 2023 RoboCup soccer match, according to a press release from the university on Friday.
The key innovation to achieving this great balance between walking on rough terrain and the ability to run—get off the ground with both feet,” said Dennis Hong, UCLA professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and director.
“This is the first robot of its kind.” The main innovation of the robot is that its actuators, which are machines that use energy to create movement, are specially designed to act like biological muscles.
Unlike the rigid position-controlled actuators used in most robots, these are flexible and force-controlled.
ARTEMIS: The World’s Fastest Robot
Researchers at UCLA’s Robotics and Mechanisms Lab, or RoMeLa, developed the robot as a general-purpose humanoid robot that focuses on bipedal locomotion on rough terrain.
It can sprint, jump, and walk on uneven and unstable surfaces. The robot weighs 85 pounds and
feet, 8 inches tall. Even if Artemis is pushed hard or disturbed, it can maintain stability.
ARTEMIS has been timed to walk 2.1 meters per second in laboratory tests, making it the world’s fastest-walking humanoid robot, according to UCLA researchers.
It is believed to be only the third humanoid robot overall and the first to be created in an academic setting.
The fact that the ARTEMIS actuators are electrically actuated rather than hydraulically controlled, using a change in fluid pressure to produce motion, is another major advance.
Since hydraulic systems are notorious for leaking fluids, this is also cleaner, quieter, and more efficient than robots using hydraulic drives.
Preparing for RoboCup
Student scientists tested ARTEMIS on regular walks around the UCLA campus to prepare it for RoboCup. At UCLA Intramural Field
They will thoroughly evaluate the robot’s running and football abilities in the coming weeks.
RoboCup is an international scientific conference where robots present their skills in various categories.
“We are very excited to take ARTEMIS to field trials here at UCLA and see this as an opportunity to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to a much wider audience,” Hong said in a press release.
Two hundred and thirty-two supporters contributed more than $118,000 to the creation of ARTEMIS through UCLA Spark crowdfunding. Funding from the Office of Marine Research helped.
Source: UCLA,IE
