1

HUMANOID ROBOTICS
PAST, PRESENT STATE,
FUTURE
Dharmasastha N, Rajeshwar V,
[email protected]
IFET College of Engineering, Gangarampalyam,
Villupuram.

Abstract: Humans are the most brings about new shifts of the boundaries
advanced creatures of the nature. I of Robotics as a scientific and
believe that humanoid robots will be the technological discipline. New
most advanced creatures of humans. technologies of components, sensors,
Among the man-made creatures such as microcomputers, as well as new
automobile, hand-phones and multimedia materials, have recently removed the
devices, robots of future will hopefully obstacles to real-time integrated control
be the most ideal assistants to human of some very complex dynamic
beings. Robots can live up to this systems such as humanoid robots,
expectation because future intelligent which already today possess about fifty
and autonomous robots could free degrees of freedom and are updated in
humans from, or ease them up of, microseconds of controller signals. In
repeatedly undertaking physically and view of the above statements, the work
mentally challenging routines. For for the first time raises
instance, Robot Doctor could provide
medical advices, pre-diagnostic, and The essential question on the
even assist in surgical operation; Robot justifiability of increasing the number of
Nurse could assist patients in hospital degrees of freedom of humanoid robots,
or at home; Robot Soldier could having in mind that for the overall
participate in military intervention, and skeletal activity man has at its disposal
even fight terrorism; Robot Tutor could roughly about 650 muscles of human
help our students to have a better body which could be approximately
learning experience; Robot Guard expressed by more than three hundreds
could make our society much safer; equivalent degrees of freedom, i.e. the
Robot Maid could keep our house clean same number of biological actuators. In
and secure, and even help look after relation to this, the work raises also some
elderly people at home; Robot new fundamental questions concerning
Rescuer could be deployed to places the necessary anthropomorphism of
where human lives are in danger. The list humanoid robots, how to define
of potential applications with intelligent the degree of anthropomorphism, and
and autonomous robots is growing. finally, how to achieve the highest
degree of anthropomorphism with a
Keywords: Humanoid robot, ZMP, lowest number of degrees of freedom.
semi- inverse method,active exoskeleton, On the example of a humanoid robot,
active suit, force-position control, concrete measures are proposed how to
artificial intelligent,dynamic control, achieve the desired Degree of
decentralized control. anthropomorphism of humanoids.
INTRODUCTION

Rapid development of humanoid robots

The above-mentioned obstacles being innovations (artificial muscles, adaptive
taken down, along with the humanoid materials, self- learning) that will allow
robots playing mainly the role of the performances of artificial systems
communicators and entertainers, become similar to those of man.
there have appeared humanoids of quite intelligence is the main obstacle to be
different aspirations in the domain of overcome because of its complexity
manipulation- locomotion activities of and multidimensionality; it is also
humans (case of sports-man on a responsible for coordination of the
trampoline, man on the mobile dynamic entire personal robot behavior.
platform, running, balanced motion on And finally, bearing in mind the current
the foot - a karate kick, playing tennis, progress in the constantly developing field
soccer or volleyball, gymnastics on the of humanoid robotics, whose end products
floor or by using some gymnastic will certainly acquire with time more
apparatus, skiing - balanced – motion and more human-like characteristics, we
with sliding, etc.). The work is also can ask an ungrateful question: Can
promoting some new ideas concerning we imagine that it may not be long
the already visible trends of expanding before biologists construct a ‘perfect
activities of humanoid robotics to cover personal robot’ a real human cloned and
the above new tasks. The novelty is genetically engineered with all attributes
related to generalize approach to the of a perfect servant (a worker, a soldier)
modeling of humanoid motion. Instead despite of all the ethical, legal and
of a usual inductive approach that starts sociological problems that may arise? In
from the analysis of different real motion my opinion, it will be possible to get
situations and tries to make a closer to human characteristics only if
generalization, the work proposes a new such progress is made in technological
deductive approach. innovations (artificial muscles, adaptive
materials, self- learning) that will allow
My opinion is that there are still limited the performances of artificial systems
results on human-like motion, while the become similar to those of man
field of human- like communication has
produced several viable alternatives. On
the other hand, human-like
intelligence is the main obstacle to be
overcome because of its
complexity and multidimensionality;
it is also responsible for coordination
of the entire personal robot
behavior. And finally, bearing in mind
the current progress in the constantly
developing field of humanoid robotics,
whose end products will certainly
acquire with time more and more
human-like characteristics, we can
ask an ungrateful question: Can we
imagine that it may not be long before
biologists construct a ‘perfect personal
robot’ a real human cloned and
genetically engineered with all attributes
of a perfect servant (a worker, a soldier)
despite of all the ethical, legal and
sociological problems that may arise? In
my opinion, it will be possible to get
closer to human characteristics only if
such progress is made in technological
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BEGINNINGS OF THE ROBOTICS micro-robots for inspection of intestinal

tract.
The word robot appeared first in 1920,
in the play ‘Rossum's Universal Robots’, A Turkish inventor designed and
written by the Czech writer Karel Capek. constructed
The play depicts perfect workers –robots,
endowed with emotions enabling to
increase their productivity. Concepts
akin to today's robot can be found as
long ago as 450 B.C. when the Greek
mathematician Tarentum postulated a
mechanical bird he called ‘The Pigeon’
which was pro-pilled by steam. Al-Jazari
(1136-1206) The first known functioning
robot was created in 1738 by Jacques
de Vaucanson. In 1893, George Moor
created a steam man. He was powered by
a 0.5 hp gas fired boiler and reached a
speed of 9 mph (14 kph). Westinghouse
made a humanoid robot known as
Electro. It was exhibited at the
1939 and 1940 World’s Fairs, whereas automatic machines such as water
the first electronic autonomous robots clocks, kitchen appliances and musical
were created by Grey Walter at Bristol automats powered by water. One of the
University, England, in 1948. If we first recorded designs of a humanoid
would like to relate the beginnings of robot was made by Leonardo da Vinci in
robotics to the appearance of industrial around 1495. Da Vinci's notebooks,
robots we should point out that George rediscovered in the 1950s, contain
Devol patented in the United States a detailed drawings of a mechanical knight
first robotic device in 1954, whereas able to sit up, wave its arms and move its
Joseph Engelberger, also an American,
head and jaw.
constructed first industrial robot in 1961.
Therefore, the year 1961 was essential
for the beginning of industrial robotics. These are, for example, robots for
Since 1970 we have witnessed an antiterroristic actions, for deactivating
intensive development of industrial explosive devices, locating and
robotics. Robots have replaced men destroying mines, mending damages in
primarily in those jobs that were the electric power network without
dangerous to humans and harmful to switching off, picking fruits, concrete
their health, and also introduced higher works, digging underground chanals and
regularity and accuracy in machining of their maintenance, cleaning tall
parts, assembly of blocks and systems, as buildings, replacement of damaged parts
well yielded increased productivity. For of tanks and pipelines, sheep
example, in the last 15-20 years car shearing, robots-butchers for meat
manufacturing has been automated and carving and deboning, micro-robots for
fully robotized, starting from the initial inspection of intestinal tract, and even
stage of forging, through engine for examination of the quality of blood
manufacture, to assembly of parts into vessels, etc. There have been more
the final product – car, including its frequent.
painting. carving and deboning, micro-
robots for inspection of intestinal
tract, and even carving and deboning,
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HUMANOID ROBOTICS attempts in which robots performed

delicate surgical operations, either on
The beginning of the development of the spot or at a distance.
humanoid robotics coincided with the
beginning of the development of active
exoskeletons, first in the world, in 1969 in Active exoskeleton with electromechanical
the Mihajlo Pupin Institute under the drives, electronically programmed, built and
tested in 1974.
guidance of Prof. Vukobratovic. It should
be noted that legged locomotion Served mainly to evaluate and develop electro-
systems were developed first. mechanical drives for active orthotic devices,
Also, the first theory of these systems has as the ‘Active suit’ or active arm orthosis. This
been developed in the same institute, in the is the first example known in the world of
active exoskeleton that used electric motors as
frame of active exoskeletons. Hence, it can actuators. As such, it can be considered as the
be said that active exoskeletons were the predecessor of contemporary humanoid robots
predecessors of contemporary high- driven by electric motors.
performance humanoid robots. Recently,
there has been evident revived interest in
active exoskeletons, first of all of military ZERO-MOMENT POINT CONCEPT
dedication. The present-day active AND SEMI-INVERSE METHOD
exoskeletons are developed as the systems
for enhancing human natural skeletal system. In parallel with the states feedback
including loads feedback at powered
joints of legged locomotion robots and
particularly of biped mechanisms, it is
essential for dynamic stability of the overall
system to control ground reaction forces
arising at the contacts of the feet and the
ground. For instance, with the biped robot in
the single support phase, shown below in the
figure, it is possible to replace all
elementary vertical forces by their
resultant. Let the point O represent the point
at which the sum of moments is equal zero,
so R that this point where only force is
acting is called Zero-Moment Point (ZMP).

The equations of dynamic equilibrium of the

First Version of the Powered biped mechanism can be derived for ZMP,
Leg at Mihailo Pupin Institute (1971) so that the introduction of the ZMP notion
made it possible solve this very specific
problem of applied mechanics.
Namely, for any other point except for ZMP,
equations of dynamic equilibrium would
contain unknown dynamic reaction forces,
making thus the problem of dynamics
modeling in the class of legged, particularly
of biped locomotion robots, unsolvable.
However, if we integrate the equations
written for the ZMP, then it becomes
possible to calculate the reaction forces, as
they depend on all internal coordinates,
velocities, and accelerations of the overall
mechanism. A next decisive step in modeling
and control of legged, particularly biped
locomotion robots was the introduction of the

semi-

inverse method.
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WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF THE combined with the robot’s actuators'

SEMI-INVERSE METHOD? characteristics.. Trajectories of the (n-3)
coordinates can be prescribed so as to ensure
The conditions of dynamic equilibrium the dynamic equilibrium of the overall
with respect to the coordinate frame attached system (the trunk motion including the arms
to the Zero Moment Point give three if the biped robot is in question). If there be
relations between the generalized some supplementary ZMPs (like passive
coordinates and their derivatives. As the joints of the biped arms), then for every
whole system has n degrees of additional ZMP another three equilibrium
freedom (n>3), Thus, when applied to the conditions are available.
problem of investigating the dynamics of
biped systems, the motion of the links is
partly known, while the unknown moments
are equal zero. Vanishing of the given
moment results from the equilibrium
conditions about the supporting point
(ZMP) and about the joints of passive
links.

Walk Master: Trajectory of ZMP and projected

Center of gravity.

Using ZMP concept, the researchers in the

Kato Laboratory elaborated three-
dimensional graphics of a walking robot in
1984. This system enabled the analysis of
ZMP in the course of biped robot's Walking
and the composition of a walking pattern
On three- dimensional graphics. The ZMP humanoid, biped and multi-legged robots. It
concept and semi-inverse method was was demonstrated that the ZMP method
elaborated in the further research. Ichiro provides a quite useful dynamic criterion for
the characterization and monitoring of
the human/humanoid
robot locomotion. The concept
of ZMP is also very useful for the analysis
and control of the human gait in
rehabilitation robotics.

Kato and his associates were the first who

realized dynamic walking compensation
with the body.
A walking bipedal robot must be able to set
its own gait so as to be capable of adapting
to rough terrain, or avoiding obstacles. So
these researchers developed the WL-12 with
a body that stabilized its own gait. The WL-
12 was capable of performing 30-cm steps
in 2.6 s, using a newly proposed algorithm
that automatically composed the time
trajectory of the body while arbitrarily
giving the trajectory of the lower limbs and
ZMP. Based on the same ZMP method, the
authors from Honda R & D Co. Ltd. Wako
Research Center have presented [14-15] the
HONDA Humanoid Robot – the most
successful result in biped locomotion to
date. Among many research activities in the
domain of humanoid robots (modeling and
control) I would like to emphasize the
importance of a big and very promising
project on Virtual Humanoid Robot
Platform. The ZMP method has recently
attracted tremendous interest of researchers
and has found very attractive applications in
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CONTROL SCHEMES OF ROBOTS DYNAMIC

APPROACH TO GENERATION OF
TRAJECTORIES FOR ROBOTIC MANIPULATORS.

Dynamic approach to generating robotic to manipulation robots

trajectories is the method for an optimal was introduced by
synthesis of manipulation robot Vukobratovic and Stokic.As compared to
trajectories. It was proposed first in 1982, other dynamic control laws (e.g. the so-
whereby the system was considered as a called inverse dynamics or computed torque
complete, nonlinear dynamic model method), the centralized feed-forward has
of the mechanism and actuators. exhibited considerable advantages such as
Regarding the practical importance of the higher robustness, simpler control scheme,
energy for optimal motion synthesis ensuring requiring no changes in the basic structure of
simultaneously a smooth, jerkless motion the classical servo-system
and minimal actuators’ strains, a particular schemes, etc. The
attention was paid to the energy needed application of centralized feed-forward in the
for an optimal motion of nonredundant commercial industrial robot controllers that
manipulators. A procedure for the dynamic showed full effectiveness of the proposed
synthesis of redundant manipulator approach has begun a number of years later.
trajectories was proposed for the first time Optimal feed-forward control speeds up the
in 1984. This procedure was not really motion of mechatronic systems near to the
dynamic for the reason that the system was physical limits. In the recent applications,
presented by the kinematic model, but the real- time optimal feed-forward control
optimality criterion was a dynamic one. enhanced the international competitiveness
Thismethod exhibited considerable of the leading robot manufacturers.Also,
advantages over the kinematic the robot- in-the-
approaches in the cases of manipulation loop mathematical optimization reduced
of heavy objects by large, powerful robots, drastically the time needed for robot
and high-speed manipulation with high- controller tuning.
energy consumption.
ROBOT DYNAMIC
CENTRALIZED FEED-FORWARD CONTROL
CONTROL IN ROBOTICS
The first idea of applying dynamic control to
The centralized feed-forward control is one robots originated from the goal to track a
of the dynamic control laws which have been prescribed trajectory by the
effectively used in practice. It includes the anthropomorphic
so-called nominal programmed control, active mechanisms, specifically
which compensates for the dynamics of biped locomotion systems. Vukobratovic and
the overall mechanism along the Juricic suggested a dynamic control scheme
nominal trajectory. The centralized feed- consisting of a feed-forward path (based on
forward for the application in biped the complete dynamic model of the
locomotion systems was proposed in the system) and feedback path, where the
early papers . With the biped walking role of the feed- forward compensation is
machines, an accurate tracking of the pre- to cancel the nonlinearities of the nominal
calculated nominal trajectories, achievable dynamics of the system. Several years later,
by the application of the centralized feed- such approach was proposed and elaborated
forward control, was a prerequisite for for the joint space dynamic control of
ensuring dynamic equilibrium during the manipulation robots .
walk. The centralized feed-forward control
APPLICATIONS OF HUMANOID

ROBOTS HUMANOID ROBOTS AS

SOLDIERS

• Humanoids can be a prospectus

soldiers as they have no feelings,
follow all the orders without
questioning and don’t get tired by
looking for prospectus danger in any
side continuously for days or
months, whereas the humans get
tired and thus their efficiency
decreases.

• Pentagon hires British scientist to

help build robot soldiers that 'won't
commit war crimes'

• The US Army and Navy have both

hired experts in the ethics of building
machines to prevent the creation
of an amoral Terminator-
style killing machine that
murders indiscriminately.

• Last month the US Army took

delivery of a new robot built by an
American subsidiary of the British
defense company QinetiQ, which can
fire everything from bean bags and
pepper spray to high-explosive
grenades and a 7.62mm machine gun.
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ROBOT TEACHERS IN CLASS BY ROBOTS AS SECURITY GUARDS

ITSELF
• Japan's robot teacher calls roll, • Schools in Korea could soon be
smiles and scolds, drawing laughter from guarded by hi-tech robots that will
students with her eerily lifelike face. patrol their grounds, according to
But the developer says it's not about to reports.
replace human instructors. • Sadly for anybody hoping for a
• Unlike more mechanical-looking Terminator, Robocop or even a
robots Johnny 5, OFRO has a top speed of
such as Honda Motor Co.'s Asimo, just 5kmph, and is equipped with a
the robot teacher, called Saya, can camera and microphone rather than a
express six basic emotions -- big gun. And rather than a giant
surprise, fear, disgust, anger, metal person, it looks more like a
happiness, sadness -- because its large wireless router stuck onto a
rubber skin is being pulled from the tiny tank, with a periscope bolted
back with motors and wiring around onto it.
the eyes and the mouth.

• Japanese robotics company

Tmsuk has announced its latest
creation, the T63 Artemis
Guard Robot. Artemis will
autonomously patrol a multi-story
building and report back wirelessly
to security HQ if it finds anything
amiss. Though not yet capable of
apprehending any intruders, it is
armed with several non-lethal
offensive weapons such as a
fluorescent paintball gun and the
capability to spray a cloud of mist to
temporarily blind the intruder.
ROBOTS AS MAIDS:

Now the Japanese have caught up with the

Jetsons -- with their tea serving humanoid
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robot HRP-2. The Voltron-looking robot REFERENCES:

even does your dishes! Take that, The HRP-
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University of Tokyo, led by Professor Stojiljkovic Z.: Development of
Tomomasa Sato. Active Anthropomorphic
Exoskeletons, Medical and
Biological Engineering, Vol. 12, No.
1, 1974

2. Vukobratovic M.: Legged

Locomotion Robots and
Anthropomorphic Mechanisms (in
English), research monograph,
Mihailo Pupin Institute, Belgrade,
1975, also published in Japanese,
CONCLUSION:
Nikkan Shumun Ltd. Tokyo, 1975,
in Russian "MIR", Moscow,
Thus at the end we would like to say
1976, in Chinese, Beijing, 1983
that human like robots are very well
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“Control Architecture and
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THANK U