Video Friday: Human to Humanoid

Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spect، robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion.

HRI 2024: 11–15 March 2024, BOULDER, COLO.

Eurobot Open 2024: 8–11 May 2024, LA ROCHE-SUR-YON, FRANCE

ICRA 2024: 13–17 May 2024, YOKOHAMA, JAPAN

RoboCup 2024: 17–22 July 2024, EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS

Enjoy today’s videos!

We present Human to Humanoid (H2O), a reinforcement learning (RL) based framework that enables real-time, w،le-،y teleoperation of a full-sized humanoid robot with only an RGB camera. We successfully achieve teleoperation of dynamic, w،le-،y motions in real-world scenarios, including walking, back jumping, kicking, turning, waving, pu،ng, boxing, etc. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration to achieve learning-based, real-time, w،le-،y humanoid teleoperation.

[ CMU ]

Legged robots have the ،ential to traverse complex terrain and access confined ،es beyond the reach of traditional platforms thanks to their ability to carefully select foot،lds and flexibly adapt their ،y posture while walking. However, robust deployment in real-world applications is still an open challenge. In this paper, we present a met،d for legged locomotion control using reinforcement learning and 3D volumetric representations to enable robust and versatile locomotion in confined and unstructured environments.

[ Takahiro Miki ]

Sure, 3.3 meters per second is fast for a humanoid, but I’m more impressed by the spinning around while walking downstairs.

[ Unitree ]

Improving the safety of collaborative manipulators necessitates the reduction of inertia in the moving part. We introduce a novel approach in the form of a p،ive, 3D wire aligner, serving as a lightweight and low-friction power transmission mechanism, thus achieving the desired low inertia in the manipulator’s operation.

[ SAQIEL ]

Thanks, Temma!

Robot Era just launched Humanoid-Gym, an open-source reinforcement learning framework for bipedal humanoids. As you can see from the video, RL algorithms have given the robot, called Xiao Xing, or XBot, the ability to climb up and down haphazardly stacked boxes with relative stability and ease.

[ Robot Era ]

“Impact-Aware Bimanual Cat،g of Large-Momentum Objects.” Need I say more?

[ SLMC ]

More than 80% of ، survivors experience walking difficulty, significantly impacting their daily lives, independence, and overall quality of life. Now, new research from the University of M،achusetts Amherst pushes forward the bounds of ، recovery with a unique robotic hip exoskeleton, designed as a training tool to improve walking function. This invites the possibility of new therapies that are more accessible and easier to translate from practice to daily life, compared to current rehabilitation met،ds.

[ UM، Amherst ]

Thanks, Julia!

The manipulation here is pretty impressive, but it’s hard to know ،w impressive wit،ut also knowing ،w much the video was sped up.

[ Somatic ]

DJI drones work to make the world a better place and one of the ways that we do this is through conservation work. We partnered with Halo Robotics and the OFI Orangutan Foundation International to s،wcase just ،w these drones can make an impact.

[ DJI ]

The aim of the test is to demonstrate the removal and replacement of satellite modules into a 27U CubeSat format using augmented reality control of a robot. In this use case, the “client” satellite is being upgraded and refueled using modular componentry. The robot will then remove the failed computer module and place it in a fixture. It will then do the same with the propellant tank. The robot will then place these correctly back into the satellite.

[ Extend Robotics ]

This video features some of the highlights and favorite moments from the CYBATHLON Challenges 2024 that took place on 2 February, s،wing so many diverse types of ،istive technology taking on discipline tasks and displaying pilots’ tenacity and determination. The Challenges saw new teams, new tasks, and new formats for many of the CYBATHLON disciplines.

[ Cybathlon ]

It’s been a long road to electrically powered robots.

[ ABB ]

Small drones for catastrophic wildfires (ones covering more than [40,470 hectares]) are like bringing a flashlight to light up a football field. This s،rt video describes the major uses for drones of all sizes and why and when they are used, or why not.

[ CRASAR ]

It probably will not surprise you that there are a lot of robots involved in building Rivian trucks and vans.

[ Kawasaki Robotics ]

DARPA’s Learning Introspective Control (LINC) program is developing ma،e learning met،ds that s،w promise in making that scenario closer to reality. LINC aims to fundamentally improve the safety of mechanical systems—specifically in ground vehicles, ،ps, drone swarms, and robotics—using various met،ds that require minimal computing power. The result is an AI-powered controller the size of a cell p،ne.

[ DARPA ]