[extropy-chat] walk this way

[Samantha Atkins]

It not only learns to walk but does so in twenty minutes?  If so this
is astounding indeed.  i just looked it up in Science.   This is for
real.

- samantha


On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 20:45:24 -0800, spike <spike66 at comcast.net> wrote:
> This is so wicked cool:
> 
> http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/02/17/robot.toddlers.ap/index.html
> 
> They are actually reporting two breakthroughs here, which
> causes me to suspect either the press has goofed the story
> or that something else is wrong with it.  They are reporting
> that they have discovered a far more efficient way for
> robots to walk using springs (which is believable and
> exciting) and that the device itself learns (which is
> exciting as hell, but dubious).
> 
> spike
> 
> Robot 'learns' to walk like a toddler
> Thursday, February 17, 2005 Posted: 5:12 PM EST (2212 GMT)
> 
> The walking robot Cornell moves like a human, falling and catching itself as
> it moves forward.
> 
> WASHINGTON (AP) -- The difference between man and machine is shrinking.
> Scientists have developed a robot that "learns" to walk like a toddler,
> improving its step and balance with every stride.
> 
> The walking robot looks more like a moving Erector set than a human being,
> but the machine has the unmistakable gait of a person strolling along. The
> robot uses its curved feet and motorized ankles to spring its legs forward,
> its arms swinging at every step to help with balance.
> 
> Researchers on Thursday showed off the learning, walking robot, along with
> two less-advanced models, at the national meeting of the American
> Association for the Advancement of Science. A report on the research appears
> this week in the journal Science.
> 
> The machines use what the researchers called a "passive-dynamic design" that
> closely mimics the way humans walk. Earlier robots required powerful
> machines to stroll, with each leg, knee and ankle requiring motorized
> assistance. The effort requires a lot of energy.
> 
> The passive dynamic design uses gravity, along with muscle-like springs and
> motors. The energy required is just a fraction of that needed by other
> walking robots, said Andy Ruina, a Cornell University researcher.
> 
> Ruina said the walking robots move like humans, falling and catching
> themselves as they move forward. This essentially is the same movement
> people use, a motion toddlers must master to walk.
> 
> "We let the machines take care of a lot of the motion," he said. In
> contrast, most walking robots, such as Asimo, developed by the Honda Motor
> Co., require a motor to power every motion.
> 
> A robot designed by Russ Tedrake of Massachusetts Institute of Technology is
> equipped with sensors that help the machine learn to walk in a way similar
> to humans' gait. Appropriately, the machine is called "Toddler."
> 
> The robot's sensors measure the machine's motion, tilt and rate of movement
> and then direct small motors to adjust and compensate for changes.
> 
> "It can learn to walk in 20 minutes," Tedrake said. "Once it learns to walk,
> then it adapts its gait to new terrain."
> 
> He said the sensors take measurements at the rate of 200 times a second and
> constantly send new instructions to the motors that control the tilt and
> motion. The sensors also direct actuators that control the tension on
> springs in the robot ankles. This helps the machine push forward with each
> stride.
> 
> "Every time it takes a step, it changes the parameters a little bit, based
> on its experience," Tedrake said. "It will walk on any surface and adjust
> the way it walks."
> 
> In effect, the robot changes its stride just as humans do when moving from
> sand to grass to pavement.
> 
> He said the machine even has learned to walk on a treadmill, making
> adjustments as the surface tilts or speeds up. The robot can start on its
> own and even walk backward.
> 
> The big advantage of the passive-dynamic robots is that they require about
> the same energy that humans use to walk. This is only one-tenth of the
> energy needed to make Asimo go, Ruina said.
> 
> The less energy used, the longer that the robots can operate without needing
> new batteries.
> 
> "For a robot to ever be practical, it will have to be able to run for a long
> time," Ruina said.
> 
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