OANDP-L
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
The O&P EDGE
  • PECOS
  • Magazine
    • Subscription
    • Current Issue
    • Issue Archive
    • News Archive
    • Product & Service Directory
    • Advertising Information
    • EDGE Flipbooks
  • O&P Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
  • EDGE Advantage
    • EA Homepage
    • EA Data
  • O&P Facilities
  • Resources
    • Product & Service Directory
    • Calendar
    • Contact
    • About Us
    • O&P Library
    • The Guide
    • Custom Publications
    • Advertising Information
    • EDGE Direct
    • Amplitude Media Group
  • PECOS
  • Magazine
    • Subscription
    • Current Issue
    • Issue Archive
    • News Archive
    • Product & Service Directory
    • Advertising Information
    • EDGE Flipbooks
  • O&P Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
  • EDGE Advantage
    • EA Homepage
    • EA Data
  • O&P Facilities
  • Resources
    • Product & Service Directory
    • Calendar
    • Contact
    • About Us
    • O&P Library
    • The Guide
    • Custom Publications
    • Advertising Information
    • EDGE Direct
    • Amplitude Media Group
No Result
View All Result
The O&P EDGE Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Robot Learning to Run Like a Human, Uses Prosthetic “Blades”

by The O&P EDGE
December 22, 2010
in News
0
SHARES
35
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Japanese researcher Ryuma Niiyama, PhD, is optimistic that with some fine-tuning, “Athlete,” the humanoid, biped robot, will be able to run. Right now, however, all it can do is go a few strides before falling over.


Photograph courtesy of Ryuma Niiyama, PhD, Satoshi Nishikawa, and Yasuo Kuniyoshi, PhD, University of Tokyo, Japan.

Athlete was developed by Ryuma Niiyama while a doctoral candidate at the University of Tokyo, Japan, Department of Mechano-Informatics, with colleague Satoshi Nishikawa, under the supervision of their advisor Professor Yasuo Kuniyoshi. The researchers presented Athlete at the Humanoids 2010 conference in Nashville, Tennessee, December 6-8.

Traditional humanoid robots have rigid legs that run by changing the angle of their joints, which results in a mechanical gait.

According to several papers written by Niiyama, Nishikawa, and Kuniyoshi,* Athlete’s muscle configurations correspond to the human anatomical structure-each leg has seven sets of pneumatic artificial muscles, controlled by custom-made pressure-control valves, that mimic the muscle pairs in human legs. This allows for range of motion and the moment on each joint to be compatible with a human and muscle activation to be patterned on human running. The robot also has sensor feedback components that orient the “body” properly.

Niiyama told IEEE Spectrum blogger Erico Guizzo that human runners with prosthetic feet, similar to South African sprinter Oscar “the Blade Runner” Pistorious, inspired him, which is why the current iteration of Athlete uses prosthetic running blades in place of the “lower leg” pneumatic actuators of earlier versions.

Niiyama is currently a postdoctoral research associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Robot Locomotion Group in Cambridge. Niiyama and his colleagues are now focusing their research on better understanding how humans control muscles during tasks like running. They plan an advanced analysis to fine-tune Athlete’s movements and improve the sensor feedback control.

To view a video of Athlete’s development and first attempts at running, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXqUjiNw8fo

* “Design Principle Based on Maximum Output Force Profile for a Muskuloskeletal Robot,” published in Industrial Robot: An International Journal, Vol. 32, No. 3, 2010; “Athlete Robot with Applied Human Muscle Activation Patterns for Bipedal Running,” in Proceedings of the IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots (Humanoids 2010), pp. 498-503, Nashville, Tennessee, December 2010; and “Design of a Musculoskeletal Robot: A Biomechanical Approach,” in Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots and the Support Technologies for Mobile Machines, pp. 173-180, Istanbul, Turkey, September 2009.

Related posts:

  1. Spring-like Protein May Be Key to Muscle Behavior
  2. I, ROBOT
  3. Robo-Legs Provide Insight into Human Gait
  4. Coaching Athletes with Disabilities: A 12-Step Program
Previous Post

ICRC Camp to Attract Over 100 Amputees

Next Post

Hanger Prosthetist to Return to Haiti for Anniversary of January 12 Earthquake

Next Post

Hanger Prosthetist to Return to Haiti for Anniversary of January 12 Earthquake

Linkedin X-twitter Facebook

 SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE

 

RECENT NEWS

Get unlimited access!

Join EDGE ADVANTAGE and unlock The O&P EDGE's vast library of archived content.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY

O&P JOBS

Mountain

Certified Prosthetist Orthotist

Mountain

CPO, CP, or Resident  

Eastern

Orthotic and Prosthetic Clinics of America—Jacksonville, FL

The O&P EDGE Magazine
 
Required 'Candidate' login to applying this job. Click here to logout And try again
 

Login to your account

  • Forgot Password? | Sign Up

Reset Password

  • Already have an account? Login

Enter the username or e-mail you used in your profile. A password reset link will be sent to you by email.

Signup to your Account

  • By clicking checkbox, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

    Already have an account? Login

Close
No Result
View All Result
  • PECOS
  • MAGAZINE
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • CURRENT ISSUE
    • ISSUE ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ARCHIVE
    • PRODUCTS & SERVICES DIRECTORY
    • ADVERTISING INFORMATION
  • O&P JOBS
    • FIND A JOB
    • POST A JOB
  • EDGE ADVANTAGE
    • EA Homepage
    • EA Data
  • FACILITIES
  • RESOURCES
    • PRODUCTS & SERVICES DIRECTORY
    • CALENDAR
    • CONTACT
    • ABOUT US
    • O&P LIBRARY
    • THE GUIDE
    • CUSTOM PUBLICATIONS
    • ADVERTISING INFORMATION
    • EDGE DIRECT
    • AMPLITUDE
  • OANDP-L
  • LOGIN

© 2025 The O&P EDGE

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?
 

Account Activation

Before you can login, you must activate your account with the code sent to your email address. If you did not receive this email, please check your junk/spam folder. Click here to resend the activation email. If you entered an incorrect email address, you will need to re-register with the correct email address.

 

© 2024 The O&P EDGE

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • EDGE Advantage
  • OANDP-L
  • Subscribe

CONTACT US

866-613-0257

[email protected]

201 E. 4th St.
Loveland, CO 80537

The most important industry news and events delivered directly to your inbox every week.

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • EDGE Advantage
  • OANDP-L
  • Subscribe

© 2025 The O&P EDGE

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
The O&P EDGE Magazine
 
Required 'Candidate' login to applying this job. Click here to logout And try again
 

Login to your account

  • Forgot Password? | Sign Up

Reset Password

  • Already have an account? Login

Enter the username or e-mail you used in your profile. A password reset link will be sent to you by email.

Signup to your Account

  • By clicking checkbox, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

    Already have an account? Login

Close
No Result
View All Result
  • PECOS
  • MAGAZINE
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • CURRENT ISSUE
    • ISSUE ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ARCHIVE
    • PRODUCTS & SERVICES DIRECTORY
    • ADVERTISING INFORMATION
  • O&P JOBS
    • FIND A JOB
    • POST A JOB
  • EDGE ADVANTAGE
    • EA Homepage
    • EA Data
  • FACILITIES
  • RESOURCES
    • PRODUCTS & SERVICES DIRECTORY
    • CALENDAR
    • CONTACT
    • ABOUT US
    • O&P LIBRARY
    • THE GUIDE
    • CUSTOM PUBLICATIONS
    • ADVERTISING INFORMATION
    • EDGE DIRECT
    • AMPLITUDE
  • OANDP-L
  • LOGIN

© 2025 The O&P EDGE

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?
 

Account Activation

Before you can login, you must activate your account with the code sent to your email address. If you did not receive this email, please check your junk/spam folder. Click here to resend the activation email. If you entered an incorrect email address, you will need to re-register with the correct email address.