Over the years, we have seen several humanoid robots that can work in warehouses, deliver packages, talk like humans. The Atlas humanoid robot developed by Boston Dynamics can even dance fluently, flip, perform gymnastics. But they are mostly similar or smaller in size to humans, as they operate in the same environment as humans – though there are exceptions to this. A robot larger than a person can be useful, for example, on construction sites or in a natural disaster area with large blockages.
Man-Machine Synergy Effectors, Inc. is a Japanese company working on an absolutely massive “human-machine synergistic effect device”, which is a huge robot controlled by a nearby person using a haptic rig. It is significantly larger than a person.
The large humanoid robot prototype replicates the upper part of the human body – the torso, two arms, and the head. The company does not name the exact dimensions of the robot, but judging by the videos, it is 2-3 times taller than a person, and in addition, it is located on a high platform.
The Man-Machine Synergy Effector has three fingers on each hand, with which it can grab objects. During tests, the robot only grabbed a light polymer stick and a soccer ball, but it seems to be capable of handling a heavier load as well.
The operator sits in the stand with a VR helmet on, broadcasting stereoscopic images from two cameras on the robot’s head. As the operator moves his hands, the machine converts these movements into analogous movements of the robot.
Among the human-machine platforms, this platform is designed to mechanize heavy work in high places. The human-machine synergistic effect device’s unique force control technology and power amplification bilateral control technology allow you to perform heavy work at heights as if you were flying around freely in space.
This is not the first huge robot that Japan has been developing. Last year, it unveiled a giant Gundam robot that stands at nearly 60 feet tall and weighs 24 tons. It can even walk, kneel, moves its arms, articulates its fingers.
