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fuRo Core bipedal robot can squat with a 100kg payload, puts your puny muscles to shame (video)
What's nearly two meters tall, weighs 230kg, and can lift the equivalent of a generously proportioned man? No, it isn't the ED-209 from RoboCop, but rather the latest robotic biped from Japan. The Core project that's being developed by the fuRo lab in Chiba's Institute of Technology may look and sound quite a bit like your favorite rogue drone, but its objective is rather more peaceful. The hope is to deliver increased mobility for handicapped people -- beyond what wheelchairs can provide, hence the bipedal locomotion system -- and things seem to have gotten off to a good start with the ability to safely balance a 100kg load while performing squats. See that feat, along with some clumsy first steps, after the break.
FURO robot waitstaff lull Koreans into a sense of complacency
Service robots are nothing new (and neither are dancing robots, for that matter) but unlike our old friend CAFERO, FURO has something of a human face. Of course, this is supposed to soothe and reassure us, but like the old robo-teddy we're pretty much convinced that this is yet another harbinger of doom. Developed by Future Robot of Korea (not to be confused with Furo, the Japanese robotics manufacturer) this guy can take credit cards and features a touchscreen display and that ominous, disembodied cartoon head. And it will do a two-step for you if you're nice! Video after the break.
