I have to admit that I just want more people to see this video. There isn't too much to add to it. This robot isn't particularly advanced but it is an interesting and impressive configuration.

Take a humanoid robot and put an armchair where its head should be and then let a human sit in the chair. Just watch:

Now here is the question - great fun yes but what is it for?

The "driver" is too exposed in the chair for it to be used for anything dangerous, including warfare or rescue missions. And I can hardly imagine it being used for carrying people around their own homes or in residential care. Nor would it substitute for sitting astride an elephant - at least not in any ceremonial duties.

The robot is the creation of KAIST HuboLab & Rainbow-Robotics (http://rainbow-robotics.com) and that's all the information that is available. I think with a little tweaking of the software the robot could be given a gait that kept the chair stabilized - at the moment I think motion sickness might be a problem. It would also be interesting to see how it handles rough surfaces.

And the hands - what can you say other than they are like something from a Japanese SciFi movie monster:

I don't care that I can't think of a use for it - I still want one.

More Information

http://rainbow-robotics.com

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