Man Outpaces Nature Almost 500 Million to One
It took nature almost 5 billion years to make a creature that could pick up oddly shaped, delicate objects and hold onto them against varying external forces. Man has only been trying to create such a creature for a few decades. And thanks to the creators of Twendy One, man has reached the goal.
Twendy One, created by Waseda University Sugano Laboratory TWENDY team, is capable of using its humanesque hands and fingers to pickup even tiny fragile objects without harming them. Not only can the robot, which is just under five feet tall, pickup such objects, it can manipulate them and retain them in its grip against changing external forces.
It may not sound like much of an accomplishment, but it is. Just ask a small child to pickup a hollow plastic straw in one hand and a plastic cup in the other – without crushing either or spilling the liquid. Twendy One is able to pickup something as delicate as hollow plastic straw without collapsing it. It can also pickup an egg – and even crack it into a pan, if you desire. (This is something I frequently have difficulty with – maybe it’s my software.)
Oerhaps the most amazing thing is that if Twendy One has a fragile object in one of its two hands, and some force attempts to dislodge it, Twendy One will maintain its grip – constantly adjusting so that the object is held securely, but not crushed.
Twendy One also does a host of other things, and is completely mobile. Because of its relatively small size it is able to fit into anyplace a small human can fit. This suits the intended purpose of the robot, which is designed to assist humans with functions. Twendy One could be a momentous aid to handicapped people. It could also free trained medical personnel by attending to various hospital tasks – and countless other things.
Other robots now sense the presence of humans, and can identify who they are by using recognition systems. Some robots are now responsive to touch, some others respond to words.
Considering that man has only been at this ‘creation’ thing for a few decades, I think we’re doing pretty well. Now all we have to do is figure out how to have the robots save the planet.
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