Development of life-sized high-power humanoid robot JAXON for real-world use

Abstract

This paper presents the development of life-sized high-power humanoid robot JAXON. Humanoid robots for disaster relief assistance need the same degree of physical performance as humans. We have developed STARO as the high-power humanoid robot with a high degree of physical performance. However this is not enough for practical use of the humanoid robot in a disaster site. We consider the following as additional conditions to operate humanoid robots for disaster relief assistance outside of the lab in outdoor environments. 1) Robots have humanlike body proportion to work in infrastructure matched to human body structure. 2) Robots have energy sources such as batteries and act without tethers. 3) Robots walk with two legs or four limbs and continue to work without fatal damage in unexpected rollover. JAXON satisfied these conditions. We demonstrates the performance of JAXON through the experiment of getting out of a vehicle, stepping over walls, and operating on batteries. Further more, we assesses the performance of the strong armor and the shock absorbing structure through a backward over-turning accident.