More Japanese Robots

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Research group develops mini humanoid robot than can sit up, stand on one leg

The Choromet humanoid robot is pictured at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tokyo's Chiyoda-ku. A miniature humanoid robot that can stand up from a lying-down position and smoothly stand on one leg has been developed by an independent administrative organization in Japan and four venture companies.

The "HRP-2m Choromet," as the robot is called, is 35 centimeters tall and weighs 1.5 kilograms. It was developed jointly by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and four venture firms. The robots will go on sale for the purpose of robotic engineering education and research as early as this autumn.

"They are perfect as teaching material to study humanoid robot control methods, and I want them to be used in places such as university laboratories," said Hirohisa Hirukawa, scientific leader of the Humanoid Research Group in AIST's Intelligent Systems Research Institute.

At the end of 2002, AIST created a bigger humanoid robot, the HRP-2 Promet, which stood 154 centimeters tall and weighed 58 kilograms. It used the technology from this robot to create the smaller Choromet.

The movements of the robot are controlled by a computer program, and different movements can be created by replacing the program.

Choromet's larger predecessor failed to become popular, due to its expensive rental fee of 40 million yen for five years. The new robots will cost about 500,000 yen apiece (Mainichi)