As director of the Artificial Intelligence Lab at the University of Zurich, Dr. Rolf Pfeifer has long argued that embodiment is one of the best methods for attaining artificial general intelligence (AGI). The embodiment hypothesis, is based on the idea that human intelligence is largely derived from our motor abilities, and therefore to create artificial general intelligence, a robotic body that interacts with the physical environment is crucial. Previously Pfeifer worked to this end via the humanoid robot ECCEROBOT, that was also referred to as Cronos. Now Pfeifer and his team of of researchers, have stated the ambitious goal of building a new humanoid robot, Roboy, in a record nine months. (via 33rd Square | Rolf Pfeiffer And His Team Working On Crowd Funded, Open-Source Humanoid Robot)

It’s not going to dance Gangnam Style any time soon. But in order to help sailors extinguish shipboard fires, the Navy’s newest robot has to learn how to move as awkwardly as real people do. This is the Autonomous Shipboard Humanoid, or ASH, the latest robotic creation from Dennis Hong’s team at Virginia Tech. ASH is based on Hong’s award-winning (and Gangnam-dancing) CHARLI-2, a highly mobile, 4-foot-tall ‘bot. Only ASH is going to have a major upgrade from CHARLI-2: titanium springs in his legs and butt that act like human muscles. No more will robots amble stiffly like, er, robots. The reason they do is that they’re designed that way. Humanoids typically have rigid limbs, an approximation of the bones of their human creators. That’s good for robotic durability, but it has limitations for mobility. Approximating the tendons and musculature of homo sapiens “has been a no-no for some time” among robot engineers, says Hong, who displayed ASH — well, his lower half at least; that’s all Hong’s built so far — for the first time at the Office of Naval Research’s biennial science and technology expo. “He’s a significant departure from the traditional humanoid robot.” (via Pentagon’s Newest ‘Humanoid’ Walks as Awkwardly as You Do | Danger Room | Wired.com)

CHARLI Robot Gangnam Style

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The CHARLI series humanoid robot is developed as a research platform to study bipedal walking and autonomous behaviors for humanoid robots. It is designed to be ultra light weight (under 15 kgs) for safety and low cost. As the next generation of the CHARLI series humanoid robots, CHARLI-2 improves stability and speed in walking, intelligence and autonomy, and soccer playing skills. CHARLI-L2 is also designed to participate in the autonomous robot soccer competition, RoboCup, in the Adult size league.
CHARLI-2 implements an impressive active stabilization strategy based on sensory feedback (filtered IMU angles, gyro rate readings and proprioception information based on joint encoders.) Stabilizing torques at the ankle joints are applied based on this information, and successful ly rejects external disturbances. CHARLI-2 is honored “2011 Best Invention of the Year” by Time magazine, won the Louis Vuitton Best Humanoid Award (a.k.a. Louis Vuitton Cup) at RoboCup 2011, and won First Place in AdultSize league for autonomous soccer at both RoboCup 2011 and RoboCup 2012 among many awards.

And now…
CHARLI does Gangnam Style…

(by RoMeLaVT)

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)