Computer vision algorithms that
enable Samsung’s latest humanoid robot, Roboray, to build real-time 3D visual
maps to move around more efficiently have been developed by researchers from
the University of Bristol. By using cameras, the robot builds a map reference
relative to its surroundings and is able to remember where it has been before.
The ability to build visual maps quickly and anywhere is essential for
autonomous robot navigation, in particular when the robot gets into places that
have no global positioning system (GPS) signals or other references. Roboray is
one of the most advanced humanoid robots in the world, with a height of 140 cm
and a weight of 50 kg.
It has a stereo camera on its
head and 53 different actuators including six for each leg and 12 for each
hand. The robot walks in a more human-like manner by using what is known as
dynamic walking. This means that the
robot is falling at every step, using gravity to carry it forward without much
energy use. This is the way humans walk and is in contrast to most other
humanoid robots that bend their knees to keep the centre of mass low and
stable. This way of walking is also more challenging for the computer vision
algorithms as objects in images move more quickly. The Bristol team, who has
been collaborating with Samsung Electronics, was in charge of the computer
vision aspects of 3D SLAM.
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