Humanoid construction robot installs drywall by itself
If Japan's Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Institute has its way, construction workers might be a thing of the past. Researchers have built [original] HRP-5P, a humanoid bot that can handle a variety of construction tasks when there's either a staffing shortage or serious hazards. The prototype uses a mix of environment detection, object recognition and careful movement planning to install drywall by itself -- it can hoist up boards and fasten them with a screwdriver.
The design doesn't have as much freedom of movement as a human being, but makes up for that with numerous joints that flex to degrees you wouldn't see in real people. It won't always look the most natural when doing its job, but it'll be effective. It can also correct for slips, and it's not deterred when it has a limited field of view.
Also at The Verge and TechCrunch.
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Wednesday October 03 2018, @10:54PM
Japan's population is getting older, with fewer builders.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/604424/median-age-of-the-population-in-japan/ [statista.com]
Building, rebuilding and remodelling require builders. Also, this is Japan - robots are cool.
And, they tend to rebuild alot:
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/nov/16/japan-reusable-housing-revolution [theguardian.com]
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex