Humanoid tourist: AI-powered robot climbs Great Wall of China
Technology
The field of humanoid robotics has advanced significantly in recent times
(Web Desk) - The field of humanoid robotics has advanced significantly in recent times.
We’ve seen new iterations of robots excelling in various tasks, making them highly effective for both domestic and industrial services.
Now, China-based Robot Era’s offering has showcased its prowess by becoming the first humanoid to climb the Great Wall of China.
In a video released by Robot Era, the full-sized humanoid prototype XBot-L, standing 1.65 meters tall, is shown walking along sections of the Great Wall, waving hello, showcasing some martial arts moves, and performing various other movements.
The weathered stone walls, uneven pavements, and dark archways at the Great Wall of China present a significant challenge for any bipedal humanoid robot.
Wheeled robots or humanoid models without advanced kinematic support usually face challenges on such surfaces, as they often stumble on uneven terrain or over potholes in long flights of stairs.
It looks like the XBot-L only covered a short distance on the Great Wall of China trail. Its missing leg covers and duck tape around its waist suggest that it might have stumbled a few times while trying to complete the route.
However, it is commendable that XBot-L overcomes obstacles through its advanced perceptive reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms.
These innovations enable the robot to feel its surroundings, maintain balance, and adapt its walking speed and step to provide smooth navigation even in these challenging conditions.
“Perceptive RL algorithms help to strengthen the robot’s perceptive and decision-making capacity in the face of unfamiliar terrains.
The robot thus can recognize complex road conditions and adjust its walking stance in a timely manner,” said Yue Xi, co-founder of Robot Era, in a statement.
Robot Era also recently unveiled a highly dexterous hand, Xhand, designed exclusively for embodied AI applications.
