These hexapod robots developed in Lingang are on the ice and snow stage for the first time!
Last week, on the field of curling at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, a curling robot "player" coming from the Lingang New Area wore a red suit, supporting his body with a pair of middle "legs" and a pair of rear "legs". Stepping on the pedal, using a pair of front "legs" as two "hands" to control the direction of the curling and the speed of movement and rotation, throwing hard, hitting 6 out of 6, presenting its Winter Olympics debut. It brought new hot spots to the Winter Olympics by virtue of its scientific and technological capabilities.
This curling robot "player" is supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology's national key R&D programme "Science and Technology Winter Olympics", is led by Gao Feng, a professor from the School of Mechanical and Power Engineering of Shanghai Jiaotong University. Developed by the six-legged curling robot research team composed of Shanghai Jiaotong University and the Lingang New Area Science and Technology Innovation Platform-Shanghai Intelligent Manufacturing R&D and Transformation Functional Platform, it is the world's first six-legged curling robot that imitates the behaviour of people pedalling, supporting sliding, and rotating curling.
Including the curling robot, the research team has also developed and manufactured five hexapod robots, including skiing robots, snowboarding robots, and guide robots for the blind.
"The reason why we choose the hexapod robots is because they have more advantages in the process of completing these performance movements, which can reflect the independent innovation of our technology, and is more in line with the theme of the 'Scientific and Technological Winter Olympics’”. Professor Gao Feng said. "After determining the direction of research and development, the time was already very tight. It only took us half a year from the establishment of the scientific research project to the appearance at the Winter Olympics. "
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guide the blind Robot testing in Lingang
The research and development of each hexapod robot is independently designed according to the function. For example, the curling robot is different from the wheeled robots that have been used globally. The hexapod curling robot simulates the behaviour of people throwing curling. Throwing by pedalling, sliding, and spinning can freely switch between throwing, standing, and walking on ice. At the same time, the research team also trained the robot according to the behavioural characteristics of people throwing curling, so that the robot can realise the behavioural decision-making method of people. "In the curling project, the information data obtained by the human eye is relatively rough, and the robot can identify the measurement data with higher accuracy through the on-board vision and force perception system, such as the roughness and friction characteristics of the ice surface. All factors will have an impact on the robot's motion planning and precise throwing and hitting." Professor Gao introduced, "After the digitalisation of curling throwing is realised, the curling hexapod robot will hopefully become the daily training equipment for curling athletes, and it can also assist athletes in the decision-making and planning of curling throwing, and serve as sparring partners for athletes."
Curling robot tested in Shanghai
Before the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the snow board robot completed the snow simulation test at the production base in Lingang, and completed the field test on the real snow track in Shenyang. It can not only ski at high speed on the beginner and intermediate snow tracks, but also able to avoid crowds and plan your own optimal route."We have designed two skiing modes for the skiing robot, one is human-computer interaction and machine collaboration, which tells the robot the direction and speed to ski; the other is autonomous, where the robot determines obstacles through visual recognition and goes around autonomously. These methods have all been tested and realised," said Professor Gao Feng. It is understood that the follow-up ski robot is expected to play an important role in snow rescue or border inspection and patrol after realising the climbing function.
Snowboard robot tested in Lingang
Snowboard robot tested in Shenyang
Technological innovation has made this year's Winter Olympics even more exciting. In the time after the Winter Olympics, let us continue to expect that these robots from Lingang New Area will have a broader application space.