Robots are becoming more and more diverse. It is almost scary to see the latest abilities of robots, and while they may worry some people, we find these engineering marvels as a hallmark of the progress made in science and technology. So we hope you enjoy our list of 10 Robots with a unique skill set.
10.Yaskawa Motoman MH24 – The Samurai Bot
This robot is compared with a samurai. The capabilities of this robot are so unique that it can easily slice a pea into exact halfs. Originally though it was made for production facilities where precision and accuracy are key, and the Samurai comparison is a testament to its abilities.
9. CHEETAH – Fastest Legged Robot
Boston Dynamics(now acquired by Google) have made a lot of breathtaking robots and CHEETAH is only one of these. As per their website “The Cheetah robot is the fastest legged robot in the World, surpassing 29 mph, a new land speed record for legged robots. The previous record was 13.1 mph, set in 1989 at MIT.”
8. Robo-Insect with the ability to Walk on Water
It is true that inspiration for most of these robots on our list came from nature, and so is the case for this one.Researchers created the lightweight, leaping robot after studying how pond-skimmer insects push off the water’s surface without sinking. You can see the video below to know more.
7. “HECTOR”, A robot that can adapt to the environment.
The actual name for this robot is Hexapod Cognitive autonomously Operating Robot. This robot has six independent limbs that give it the ability to adapt to any terrain. The robot is modeled on a stick insect. Hector features a light exoskeleton made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP). Along with its many sensors and short-range cameras, the unique robot has 18 passive electric joints that mimic the way muscles act.
6. SPOT, “THE Kickable” Robot
This is a smaller version of Boston Dynamics own “mule- like” Big Dog robot. This one weighs about 73kg and is designed for both indoor and outdoor applications. The robot can balance itself even when externally disturbed, so as shown in the video below even if you kick it, the robot saves itself from falling.
5. Robo-Roach(The robot cockroach)
Backed by the US Army this robot is tiny and is flexible enough to go through tiny spaces just like a cockroach. It is expected that this robot will be used for surveillance operations.
4.Gecko Robot
This robot is again designed for surveillance and search & rescue operations. Gecko robot can climb on walls as it has special adhesive toes. The robot utilizes the phenomena of van der Wall forces to stick to surfaces using tiny micro fibers on its toes.
3. Self Healing Robot
Research on this robot was headed by Jean-Baptiste Mouret of the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris. The basic idea was to build a robot that reacts to any dysfunctionalities in its limbs just like animals when they are injured. The core of the program is to build a knowledge base for the robot of how it moves, and to assign to each of these movements a “value” as to how useful they could be in a crisis.
2. Bat like Robot which can Walk too
This robot can both fly and walk. It easy to justify that ability to reach quickly locations and monitor vast areas is accomplished by the capacity to fly for a robot, but over distances requiring close inspection ground motion is far more energy efficient. Hence, a robot was built which can both fly and walk.
1. HUBO the Humanoid Robot
All the robots we have discussed so far specialize in either one or at most two things. If we take into account versatility and dexterity of the tasks that can be performed than HUBO trumps them all. Originally designed in Korea by team KAIST to compete in a competition for DARPA in the USA in 2005. The latest versions of this robot can make complex gestures using its five fingers and perform a wide range of tasks.
So which robot is your favourite? Let us know in the comments section.