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First Look: NAO Prototype Humanoid Robot Walks (Video)

Late last year we had the great opportunity to interview Bruno Maisonnier, the founder and CEO of Aldebaran Robotics in France. He disclosed some really interesting and quite ambitious plans for the NAO humanoid robot. In the interim, the company has been very cautious about releasing any photos, videos, or other information that shows the full robot design. We can totally understand and respect their caution and dedication to managing press accuracy about the robot.

It turns out that the Aldebaran wizards have been hard at work in the labs, and have made significant progress. And, they're ready to pull back the curtain just a bit to give the world a look at the NAO robot prototype actually in operation (see video below). 

A few things to keep in mind while watching the video clip-

• NAO is considerably larger than the typical ROBO-ONE robot or any of the  humanoid kits on the market. He also weighs more.
• The robot's number of degrees of freedom (DOF) has increased from the 23 DOF included in the original press releases, to a new 25 DOF configuration that should result in significantly improved flexibility and performance.
• The NAO version shown walking in the video is the current prototype, and will undergo significant changes, modifications, and improvements before it is officially launched later this year. 
• According to sources at Aldebaran, the current walk is 'static'. The next step (pun intended) is to implement 'dynamic' walking which will improve the robots speed, smoothness, and stability. 
  

Related links:

Aldebaran Robotics Official Website (English)

Aldebaran NAO Robot Background

Posted by Lem on April 21, 2007 | Permalink | Email this post

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Comments:

Very impressive use of body dynamics (arm swinging, weight shifting) in the movement. I look forward to continued progress.

Posted by: Howard | Apr 21, 2007 1:57:40 AM

I think 2 feet/60 cm is a good height for a
humanoid robot.

In my uneducated opinion, 1 foot/30 cm seems a little
too small and makes the robot seem too much like a
doll.

And if it is much taller than 2 feet, the robot might
be too intimidating for small children.

(The WowWee Robosapien is about 2 feet tall.)

Posted by: human | Apr 25, 2007 6:20:51 AM

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