In 2005, the world witnessed a remarkable fusion of science and robotics when KAIST's HUBO team collaborated with Hanson Robotics to develop Albert HUBO, an android humanoid robot designed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity. This innovative creation, considered by many as the world's first expressive human-faced walking biped robot, combines cutting-edge technology in artificial intelligence, robot hardware, and human-robot interaction. Albert HUBO is not just a tribute to a legendary scientist; it also represents a milestone in the development of robots with lifelike expressions and human-like movements.
A Breakthrough in Robotics
The creation of Albert HUBO was driven by a desire to bring together two distinct branches of robotics: android robots and humanoid robots. These two fields, while related, have always had different mechanisms and structures. Android robots typically focus on creating a head with human-like facial features and expressions, while humanoid robots concentrate on body movements and biped locomotion. The fusion of these two technologies into Albert HUBO was a unique challenge, but it resulted in an android humanoid robot capable of a full range of human-like facial expressions and realistic body movements.
Albert HUBO stands at a height of 137 cm and weighs 57 kg, making it a human-scale robot. It is equipped with 66 degrees of freedom (DOFs) — 31 for head movements and 35 for body movements. The robot’s body is based on the HUBO design, which has been in development since 2004. HUBO was one of the first humanoid robots capable of walking on two legs and maintaining balance independently, which laid the foundation for Albert HUBO’s walking abilities.
The Face of Albert HUBO: The Power of ‘Frubber’
The most striking feature of Albert HUBO is undoubtedly its expressive face. The head was designed and created by the Hanson Robotics team, known for their work on lifelike androids such as the Philip K. Dick android. What sets Albert HUBO apart is the use of "Frubber," a unique material that combines the elasticity of rubber with the softness of human skin. This sponge-like elastomer material allows the robot's face to wrinkle, crease, and move like human skin, enabling it to convey a wide range of emotions such as joy, sadness, anger, and surprise.
Frubber is powered by 28 servo motors, which control facial movements, and three additional motors control the neck. This setup ensures that Albert HUBO can generate a full spectrum of facial expressions that are both realistic and emotionally expressive. What’s even more impressive is that the head operates on extremely low power consumption — less than 10 watts — despite its complex mechanisms for facial expression.
The Body: Inspired by HUBO
The body of Albert HUBO, while inspired by the HUBO robot introduced in 2004, is significantly modified to fit the expressive head and the robot’s overall design. The HUBO platform is renowned for its simplicity, efficiency, and ability to walk on two legs while maintaining stability. To adapt this platform to Albert HUBO, the team had to make careful adjustments to ensure that the head would fit seamlessly with the body. This included modifying the structure to allow for the full range of motion in the head and maintaining the fluid movement of the body.
The body of Albert HUBO is powered by 35 DC motors that control various body parts, enabling it to imitate human-like body movements. This allows the robot to walk, gesture, and interact with its environment, making it more lifelike and human-like in appearance and behavior. The design of Albert HUBO’s body is a testament to the versatility of the HUBO platform, which has been used in various applications over the years, from research in robotics to real-world interactions.
The Design Concept: "Return of Einstein"
The design of Albert HUBO is deeply connected to the purpose behind its creation: to celebrate the centenary of Einstein’s groundbreaking theory of special relativity. In 2005, the world marked 100 years since Einstein’s announcement of the theory that revolutionized our understanding of time, space, and gravity. To honor this monumental event, the robot's creators decided to give Albert HUBO the appearance of the iconic scientist.
The concept behind the design was dubbed “Return of Einstein,” which imagines the great physicist returning from space in an astronaut suit. The suit not only hides the robot’s inner mechanical components but also reinforces the futuristic aspect of the robot, suggesting a blend of science, space, and technology. The use of the astronaut suit was a clever way to conceal the intricate inner workings of Albert HUBO while maintaining the image of Einstein as a space-bound figure.
A Collaborative Effort
The development of Albert HUBO was not the work of one team or one technology. It was the product of a unique collaboration between two renowned robotics teams: the KAIST HUBO team, which specialized in humanoid robots, and the Hanson Robotics team, which focused on the development of lifelike android faces. Each team brought its own expertise to the project, contributing to the successful integration of the body and head.
The project presented several challenges, particularly in achieving the harmonious integration of the face and body. The head, which is more complex due to its need to mimic human facial expressions, posed a significant challenge. One of the main difficulties was reducing the size of the head while maintaining the necessary mechanisms to achieve realistic facial movements. However, the collaboration between the teams ensured that these challenges were met, and Albert HUBO emerged as a groundbreaking achievement in the field of robotics.
Albert HUBO at the APEC Summit
Albert HUBO made its public debut at the APEC Summit in Busan, South Korea, in November 2005. The robot quickly became the star of the event, impressing world leaders, schoolchildren, and members of the public with its lifelike expressions and movements. Over the span of five days, Albert HUBO interacted with the public, showing off its ability to communicate through facial expressions and gestures. The robot’s ability to convey emotion through its face and body was a significant milestone in the development of human-robot interaction.
The attention Albert HUBO garnered at the APEC Summit highlighted the growing interest in humanoid robots and their potential applications in society. Robots like Albert HUBO, which can interact with humans in a more natural and expressive way, have the potential to be used in a variety of fields, including healthcare, education, entertainment, and customer service.
The Future of Humanoid Robots
Albert HUBO represents a significant step forward in the field of humanoid robotics, but it is just the beginning. The continued development of robots with human-like expressions and movements has the potential to change the way we interact with machines. As artificial intelligence and robotics continue to advance, we may see more robots like Albert HUBO that can form deeper emotional connections with humans, making them more effective in a wide range of applications.
The work done on Albert HUBO also highlights the growing trend of interdisciplinary collaboration in the field of robotics. By bringing together experts from different fields, such as mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence, and human-robot interaction, it is possible to create robots that are more lifelike, functional, and capable of understanding and responding to human emotions.
As we move forward, the development of robots like Albert HUBO will play a crucial role in shaping the future of robotics and artificial intelligence. By continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible, we can expect to see even more advanced humanoid robots that are capable of not just walking and talking, but also forming meaningful connections with the people they interact with.
Conclusion
The creation of Albert HUBO is a testament to the rapid advancements in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence. By combining the expertise of the KAIST HUBO team and Hanson Robotics, the project has brought us closer to the dream of creating robots that are not only functional but also capable of expressing emotions in a human-like way. Albert HUBO’s lifelike appearance and movements have set a new benchmark for humanoid robots, making it one of the most significant achievements in the field of robotics to date.
As we continue to celebrate the legacy of Albert Einstein and his contributions to science, the Albert HUBO robot serves as a fitting tribute to his genius, while also paving the way for a future where robots can seamlessly integrate into our daily lives, helping us in ways we never thought possible.
Reference: Jun-ho Oh, D. Hanson, Won-sup Kim, Y. Han, J. Kim and I. Park, "Design of Android type Humanoid Robot Albert HUBO," 2006 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Beijing, China, 2006, pp. 1428-1433, doi: 10.1109/IROS.2006.281935.
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