Podcast: Play in new window
BOB HIRSHON (host):
What robots can teach humans. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
“Kenshiro” and “Kengoro” are life-size humanoid robots that can bend, sit, and walk. Unlike many “clunkier” humanoid robots, their design mimics the muscular and skeletal anatomy of real people. And by analyzing Kenshiro and Kengoro’s every movement, researchers hope to better understand how the human body moves.
YUKI ASANO (University of Tokyo):
That kind of humanoid robot help us to deeper understanding of humans.
HIRSHON:
That’s University of Tokyo roboticist Yuki Asano. He and his colleagues report in Science Robotics that Kenshiro and Kengoro are helping them grasp trade-offs between strength and flexibility in human joints, and home in on particular areas of interest, like the knee joint’s axis of rotation. The work could help improve artificial limbs, crash tests dummies, and even athletic training. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.
Story by Susanne Bard