Engineers from Guangdong University of Technology (China) developed and demonstrated in action the prototype of a two-legged humanoid robot, called Jet-HR2, that could fly over obstacles in complex environments. The mechanism has jet propulsion and is equipped with vector thrust, according to the YouTube channel of Jet Power and Humanoid Robot Lab.

The Jet-HR2 is an evolution of the Jet-HR1 introduced in 2018, and was developed in 2019 with the main objective of demonstrating the potential of jet propulsion systems in rescue operations.

The robot could use its mechanism to access the necessary places more quickly or by jumping large to perform its tasks, instead of slowly climbing a ladder, as other modern humanoid robots do.

The new device is equipped with four thrusters: two fixed on the waist and one on each foot, which allow it to take off and reach a height of one meter. The robot weighs 17 kilograms, including the battery, and each impeller is capable of lifting five kilograms, meaning the Jet-HR2 can achieve a total thrust of 20 kilograms and a thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.17 kilograms. Under these parameters, the robot managed to take off and maintain a stable position, reaching a height of more than 1,000 millimeters.

To maintain stability during flight, the contraption is provided with two controllers, responsible for compensating for pitch and possible wobble. The videos show the robot’s flights with and without controllers, demonstrating its abilities.

Details of the design developed by scientist Zhifeng Huang’s team are described in the preliminary version of the report available at arXiv.org. and that will soon be presented at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in 2022.

Article Source