Humanoid Robot KHR-1 SDK Released

ls129 writes "KHR-1, the Japanese Robo-One humanoid robot kit from Kondo (previously mentioned here), is finally open for creative software development. The first unofficial implementation of the PC-controller API has just been posted. Using the SDK, the 17 servos that give the robot its mobility can be remote controlled by the PC via WiFi or bluetooth, and their current position can be retrieved several times per second. This unique feature will allow robot fans to go beyond simple performance of motion sequences or low-level gyro-based motion correction and develop algorithms that involve feedback control and AI." Update: 04/05 16:59 GMT by T : As originally posted, I erroneously changed the robot's nationality from Japanese to Korean; that was a boo-boo; the linked site with an English translation is Korean, but the robot itself is Japanese. Apologies to the submitter, who had it right.

AI, OK, but how much?

[couch_warrior]

Is this going to produce AI as in "I am bender, please insert girder"? Or as in, "Maybe the blue fairy will make me into a real boy so my mommy will love me". I eagerly await the former, and I dread the latter, since it will take us two seconds to pervert it into "Im gigolo Joe, Waddaya know?" Artificial intelligence for menial tasks is great. Artifical humanity will be perverted so fast it will make your head spin.

Hang on, AI?

[thrashor]

Do my eyes deceive or did I just read that the unique wireless control mechanisms of this robot will allow developers to implement AI? If that's all we needed, we've been focusing on the wrong areas!

Re:Hang on, AI?

[MBGMorden]

I think it's a matter of processing power. Serious AI is going to take serious processing power. No little robot will be able to carry the leve of equipment needed to "think" on its own. So the solution (for now anyways) is to setup the software on some super computer (or at least something significantly more powerful than the robot's internal facilities) and then send interaction commands to the body via a wireless link.

Hopefully in the future suitable devices will shrink down to a level that they can fit inside a human sized robot.

Re:Available for sale to the US?

[WormholeFiend]

if you have to ask what price, you probably can't afford it...

At least, this Korean robot [wowrobot.co.kr] isn't on the cheap side

Just another toy...

[zappepcs]

The 17 servos in this robot use a LOT of battery. Add a wireless card to that and the joy of *using* this robot will only last a few minutes. Especially if that battery has to also power the remote video link. Its not big enough to carry lots of batteries. The act of remotely controlling a robot is not new, nor is it proprietary. There are dozens of servo controllers on the market that can be controlled using simple serial commands. The clever home robotics hobbyist can buy all they need to replicate this robot in the good old US of A. There are some that are building their own. http://www.sorobotics.org/dgates/samm.html [sorobotics.org] It may be cute, or cool to watch, but the gizmos inside it are ordinary, and can be replicated almost anywhere. There is nothing to get excited about until robots are doing something useful for mankind in general. For example: yard work, harvesting crops, mining on other planets etc.

Feedback claims dubious

[AndyLippitt]

Unmodified hobby servos do not expose the position data without cracking them open and reading the internal pot. Looking at the API, I'm guessing it's simply remembering the last positions you told it to move to and regurgitating them.

I'm working on a project that sort of does what this is claiming to do by providing this feedback by way of current sensing.
http://satiety.com/robot [satiety.com]