Next-Gen Humanoid Robot, ‘Transformer,’ Deploys Morphing Drone from Back Panel: See It Live

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Caltech researchers have engineered a diverse robot framework — a humanoid robot equipped with a transforming UAV that takes flight from its rear.

Positioned atop the humanoid robot, a Unitree G1 model, the UAV, dubbed M4, possesses transformation capabilities — transitioning between terrestrial and aerial modes. This isn’t akin to Optimus Prime or Megatron; rather, the drone-launching robot is reminiscent of Soundwave, a Decepticon known for containing various, smaller transformers, similar to drones, within its core.

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The humanoid possesses the ability to ambulate (although smoother strides have been observed) and manage steps, steering its course to the destination where it dispatched the UAV, albeit at a notably more deliberate tempo.

“Currently, robots are capable of flight, terrestrial movement, and bipedal locomotion. These are all advantageous in particular circumstances,” noted Aaron Ames, director of CAST and an aerospace and engineering professor at Caltech, in a declaration. “However, the challenge lies in uniting these diverse modes of motion into a unified entity, capitalizing on their individual merits while minimizing their respective limitations.”

The hurdle herein resided in the team’s approach to integrating disparate robotic entities to forge a cohesive system while upholding distinct operational capacities. The UAV’s construction was undertaken by a CAST division guided by Mory Gharib, whereas Ames and his laboratory attended to the configuration of the humanoid robot.

M4 boasts the capability to modify its structural arrangement (transforming) to accommodate diverse locomotion methods — enabling it to evaluate the environment it is set to traverse and autonomously select the optimal blend of movements for navigation. M4 can traverse via four wheels, morph its wheels into propellers for aerial propulsion, maintain a bipedal stance reminiscent of a meerkat, “stride” leveraging its wheels as appendages, utilize two propellers to aid in scaling elevated gradients on a duo of wheels, and even resort to simple tumbling to reach its intended position.

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M4’s aptitude for redeploying its extremities as wheels, legs, or propulsion mechanisms constitutes a pivotal attribute. In scenarios necessitating flight, each of the four wheels retracts, and the propellers elevate the robot off the substrate — or from the dorsal aspect of the humanoid robot, which inclines forward during M4’s deployment.

The overarching objective of the collaboration involves enhancing the safety and reliability of these self-regulating systems. Ames proposed that should robots become ubiquitous, amplified dedication should be directed towards assuring their dependability.

“Our concentration encompasses safety-critical regulation, ensuring the trustworthiness of our systems, and confirming their fortification,” Ames conveyed in the statement. “Our portfolio comprises an array of ventures extending beyond this singular undertaking, each examining distinct facets of autonomy; these challenges are indeed substantial. Through the aggregation of these disparate projects and collaborative elements, we can confront these broader issues and meaningfully advance autonomy through a concerted and impactful methodology.”

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