Modern bipedal robots are already bad enough can keep balance while walking. But this is true only for smooth surfaces. In the presence of irregularities bipedal robots begin to stumble and fall, and even the most modern stabilization system does not always save them from this. But researchers from the University of Technology, Guangdong (China) found a very elegant solution to the above problems. They decided to use the propellers on the legs of the robot that will help you keep your balance even in the most difficult conditions.
The robot with propellers got the name Jet-HR1, and the main function of the rotors, the assurance of developers, is a partial offset compensation of a center of gravity that allows the robot to make quite wide steps with no chance of falling to the side. Robot Jet-HR1 has a height of 65 cm and weighs 6.5 kilograms, each propeller is able to lift weight up to 2 kilograms, which along with a stabilization system gives very good results.
During a series of experiments, the robot stepped over the obstacle with a width of 37 inches, which is 80 percent of the maximum possible step length of the robot. When walking, each propeller accelerates to maximum speed, holding the leg in a vertical position and not allowing the robot to tumble. The fan on the “back” leg, which remains behind in walking, rotates in the opposite direction, cradling Jet-HR1 to the ground, thereby providing additional stability. After the robot puts the “front” leg to the surface, the propellers change direction of rotation so that the “forward” leg attracted, and “rear” are repelled. Then the cycle repeats. The process of movement you can see on the video, available below.
Jet-HR1: the robot maintains balance by using propellers
Vladimir Kuznetsov