Aldebaran Looks To Larger Humanoid Robots with Romeo

 Robotics  

After the success of it's NAO, small humanoid robot, Aldbaran Robotics has engaged a new challenge: the production of a larger robot called Romeo that will allow for interaction more effectively in everyday human environments.

Romeo is a humanoid robot from Aldebaran Robotics, known as the makers of the popular NAO robot.  Romeo is currently a development project that aims to create a real robotic personal assistant and companion; a test-bed for a larger NAO.

NAO was a worldwide success, with nearly 5,000 copies sold or rented since its launch in 2008. Initially restricted to researchers in robotics, it is has since been open to the world of education, and more. Aldebaran has also developed software to engage children with autism.

Having developed NAO, the company noted the new challenge: the production of a larger robot that would allow the robot to interact more effectively in everyday environments such as opening a door or take objects on a table.

Having developed NAO, the company noted the new challenge: the production of a larger robot that would allow the robot to interact more effectively in everyday environments such as opening a door or take objects on a table.

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Today, this research platform serves both to validate the use of assistance that will be enabled by a larger robot Nao and secondly to test new technologies that can be integrated on future products for the company. These innovations are derived from Aldebaran Robotics own but also the work of academic and industrial partners conducted within the framework of collaborative projects such as the PSPC project.

Among the items being tested with Romeo include: human robot interaction, mobile eyes and the vestibular system (balance), and force control.

Already four European laboratories have acquired early prototype versions of Romeo. There have been two versions, as planned when writing the project specifications. Between the two versions, the design of the spinal column changed, the final electronics were incorporated into the head, the shells of the upper body were made using more solid material, electronic wiring in the legs was improved, and the batteries were integrated, among other advances.

The robot has the size of a child of eight years (1.40 m) and weighs a little more (40 kilos). To be as light as possible, its body is made of carbon fiber and rubber, and was designed to avoid the risk of injury to the person that will attend. Today, Romeo can walk, see the three-dimensional environment, hear and speak, much like NAO.

One potential use of larger humanoid robots like Romeo is as caregivers.

Romeo was made only four copies, all purchased by European research organizations should receive in the coming months. The timeline for testing the robot in real-world conditions is projected for 2016, with the final objective of being able to use it in a retirement home in the 2017 or 2019.

Funded in part by the French government and the European Commission, the Romeo project budget totals 37 million Euros over the period from 2009-2016.

SOURCE  Project Romeo

By 33rd Square

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