Fujitsu's HOAP-2 robot wipes whiteboards clean -- humankind next in line? (video)

By Christopher Trout posted Feb 18th 2011 4:02AM They've taught them how to flip pancakes and shoot arrows, and now they're teaching humanoids to erase your whiteboard. That's right, the same folks who brought you iCub in a feathery headdress are back at it with Fujitsu's HOAP-2, a humanoid robot that looks like it's related to the Jetsons' maid, and can wipe a dry erase board clean via upper-body kinesthetic learning. While scientists force the robot's arm through a number of erasing movements, an attached force-torque sensor records the patterns, allowing HOAP-2 to mimic its previous actions, and voila! You've got a blank slate. Sure, this little guy looks perfectly harmless in comparison with the bow-and-arrow-wielding iCub, but replace that eraser with a switchblade and the human race is in a whole world of hurt.
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.