Humanoid robots are designed to resemble the human body and interact with human tools and environments. They have a torso, head, arms and legs. Some have facial features like eyes and mouths. Humanoid robots require a lightweight body, high flexibility, sensors and high intelligence to operate in human environments. They can perform dangerous, repetitive and cooperative tasks with humans. Examples of applications include space missions, manufacturing, customer service, and robot competitions.
2. OBJECTIVE
• A humanoid robot is a robot with its body shape built to resemble the human
body. The design may be for functional purposes, such as interacting with
human tools and environments
• In general, humanoid robots have a torso, a head, two arms, and two legs,
though some forms of humanoid robots may model only part of the body, for
example, from the waist up. Some humanoid robots also have heads
designed to replicate human facial features such as eyes and mouths.
Androids are humanoid robots built to aesthetically resemble humans.
• Humanoid robots need a lightweight body, high flexibility, many kinds of
sensors and high intelligence. The successful introduction of these robots into
human environments will rely on the development of human friendly
components.
3. WHY ROBOTS AND HUMANOIDS
• A robot is “A reprogrammable, multifunctional manipulator designed to
move material, parts, tools, or specialized devices through various
programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks.”
• Are there any good reasons for doing research on humanoid robots?
1.Work in dangerous environments
2.Exhaustive and repetitive tasks.
3.Division of labor with humans in cooperative tasks
4.Anthropomorphism (The representation of objects as having human form or
traits)
5.Embodiment (new avatar)
6.Interaction and Communication
4. METHODOLOGY & ROBOT DESIGN
PROCESS
• Humanoid robots are constructed in such a way that they mimic the human body,
so they use actuators that perform like muscles and joints, though with a different
structure. To achieve the same effect as human motion, humanoid robots use
mainly rotary actuators, following are robot design process.
• 1.Chracter design: In this stage, designer defines the role and characteristic of robot
and then, builds a design scenario to represent detailed personality. The scenario
methodology make robot technology can operate effectively and friendly to
human.
• 2.Appearance design: It is the designing of the exterior view style of a robot. In this
step, designers should consider the engineering specification for practical
performance and the use and environment defined by role and character of robot.
This design stage includes structure as well as mechanism, shape, material and
color.
5. • 3.Interaction design: It is a process of finding the robot’s appropriate
behavior model and designing visual, auditory and haptic interaction. To
realize easy, speedy and comfortable interaction, simulation technique like
a software-robot (Sobot) is needed.
6. TECHNICAL COMPONENTS USED
IN ROBOTS
• Sensors & Actuators
Sensors are the devices which sense something, like environmental parameters (heat, sound, light, temperature,
etc), physical and physiological parameters (like movement, orientation, etc.).
Actuators are nothing but the motors which are responsible for the motion and movement of the robots.
Sensors: Proprioceptive and Extroceptive
The position, orientation and the speed of humanoid’s body and joint are sensed by the proprioceptive sensors
which consist of accelerometers, tilt sensors, etc.
Extroceptive sensors consist of arrays of tactels (touch receptors) which are used to provide data on what is being
touched, forces and torques transferred between robots and other objects.
In humanoid robots, CCD cameras are used for capturing image information and microphones and speakers are
used for sound reception and production respectively.
Actuators
Actuators are used to perform like joints and muscles. Mostly humanoid robots use rotator actuators to achieve the
effect as human motion. The actuators can be pneumatic, hydraulic, electric or ultrasonic.
7. WORKING AND CONTROL
Working and Control Mechanism
Concept of Zero Moment Point:
This concept explains the dynamic balance of humanoids during walking which requires information about the contact forces
and the current and desired direction of motion.
As per the ZMP Theory, the pressure under supporting foot can be replaced by the appropriate reaction force acting at a
certain point of the mechanism’s foot.
Since the sum of all moments of active forces with respect to this point is equal to
zero, it is termed as the Zero Moment Point (ZMP).
Where,
Gi = Gravitational force of the ith link acting at the mass center Ci
Fi= inertial force of the ith link acting at the mass center Ci
Mi= moment of the inertial force of the ith link for Ci
Ri= the resultant ground reaction force
R= Rv + Rf
M= Mh+Mf
Where subscripts v, h and f denote vertical, horizontal and frictional components
Respectively.
8. • ZMP is the point on the walking ground surface at which the horizontal
components of the resultant moment generated by active forces and
moments acting on humanoid links are equal to zero.
It is the point on the floor at which the moments around x and y axes
generated by reaction force and moment are zero.In addition to the concept
of ZMP, several other planning and control mechanisms are used for self-
collision detection, path planning and obstacle avoidance to allow
humanoids to move in complex environments.
• Degrees of Freedom (DOF): the number of
independent ways in which the robot can
exhibit motion.
9. ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
• Advantages
1. They increase production
2. They’re more accurate than humans
They reduce wastage
Works 24/7 and save time
They don’t complain and they understand very easily
They help out in surgery
3. Heavy lifting, dangerous work can be done and they are very fast
Versatile and saves money
• Disadvantages
1. They need constant power
They have no emotions
They impacts human interaction
2. They are expensive to install and run
3. They cause cyber security issues
They may reduce human capability and might take over the world.
10. APPLICATIONS
• Space Missions
Manufacturing
Household
Robot Competitions
Automotive Industry
Assembly
Spatial exploration
Customer Service
Technology demonstration
Conclusion
• Robots are taking over tasks which are deemed dull, dirty and dangerous
The idea of robots with greater intelligence than humans is at least 50 years away,
and may never come
It’s not the robots we need to worry about; it’s the people who program them.
Humanoids can be used as workers at Exhaustive task.
