Communications of the ACM
Kenshiro Robot Gets New Muscles and Bones
The body of the human-like Kenshiro robot mirrors almost all the major muscles in a human.
Credit: IEEE Spectrum
University of Tokyo researchers have developed Kenshiro, a human-like musculoskelatal robot whose underlying structure closely mimics the human form. Kenshiro mimics the body of the average Japanese 12-year-old boy by using 160 pulley-like muscles. The researchers note that it has the most muscles of any other bio-inspired humanoid robot ever developed. The muscles use only one motor and are much more stable than those in previous systems. In addition, Kenshiro's aluminum bones are sturdier than previous 3-D printed bones.
Kenshiro's weight, muscle torque, and joint speeds were closely modeled after the human body. The researchers say Kenshiro can get almost the same joint torque as a human, with joint angular speed of up to 100 degrees per second.
From IEEE Spectrum
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