Humanoid Robot
Torobo
Torobo has the following characteristics and can be used for machine learning research or to automate tasks that involve active contact with objects or the environment.
Size and strength equivalent to humans
With a height of 1660 mm, a reach of 680 mm, and a cart width of 625 mm, the size of the robot is close to that of a human. The payload of one arm is 8 kg at the worst-case holding posture and 20 kg at the instantaneous maximum holding force (when the elbow is bent at a right angle), which are sufficient to conduct robotics R&Ds to replace human work.
Joint configurations that enable a wide variety of tasks
The joint configuration of 7-axis dual arms, 3-axis waist (pitch, pitch, yaw), 3-axis neck (yaw, pitch, roll), and 4-axis undercarriage (omni-directional mobile base) enables the robot to do tasks with a range of motion similar to human beings in living and working spaces of people.
Torque sensing and impedance control of the arm and waist
Equipped with torque sensors at all joints of the arms and waist, the joint torque control enables safe contact stops and force-controlling task executions. Assembly tasks, cooking, and physical interaction with humans can be performed more safely and skillfully.
ROS support
Since it is ROS-compatible, the robot in Gazebo (a simulator for ROS) and the actual robot can be operated using the same program. This makes it possible to safely verify the robot's behavior. In addition, trajectory planning and self-interference detection using the MoveIt! are implemented as a standard.
Basic performance
This video shows the basic performance of Torobo. *Direct teaching after 2:20 is for in-house research and is not included in the basic package.
Applied movement (two-handed peg-in-hole)
This is a demo of peg-in-hole using impedance control. Further development of these technologies will eventually enable automation of assembly tasks.
Applied movement (clearing a desk) made by Waseda University
This is a demo developed under the JST Moonshot R&D Project. Force control is used for wiping the desk. The copyright of the video belongs to Waseda University.
Applied movement (ultrasonography made by Tokyo Women's Medical University
This is a demo developed under the JST Moonshot R&D Project. Force control is used for pressing the ultrasound probe. The copyright of the video belongs to Tokyo Women's Medical University.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Sensors (head) |
Wide-angle stereo camera x 1 Fisheye camera x 1 Depth camera x 1 Stereo microphone x 1 |
| Effectors (head) | Speaker x 1 |
| Height | 1660 mm |
| Weight | approx. 160 kg |
| Payload |
Worst posture: 8 kg (single arm) Instantaneous maximum: 20 kg (with elbow bent at right angle) |
| External terminals (back of the robot) |
Digital input x 7 Digital output x 7 Analog input: x 8 Analog output x 2 Power supply for external equipment: 5V-DC/3A, 12V-DC/2A Ethernet x 2 USB 3.0 x 8 Charger connection terminal |
| Tool flange (tip of the arm) |
24V DC power supply terminal x 1 General-purpose signal wire x 8 |
| Onboard computer | PC for robot control PC for image acquisition, etc. |
| Power source | Built-in battery (continuous operation while charging is also possible) |
| Battery continuous operation time | Up to approx. 3 hours |
Software
The basic functions required to move a force-controllable humanoid robot are implemented. Torobo can utilize impedance control in a Cartesian coordinate system, fall prevention by monitoring ZMP, a state machine for connecting multiple movements, and safety stop based on interference detection. Torobo's software is based on ROS. Therefore, in addition to the easy use of the above functions, state visualization with RViz, trajectory planning using a ROS standard software MoveIt!, and logging and saving of the robot's sensor information (camera images, joint angles, joint torques, etc.) are available.
