Finally, a Humanoid Robot With an Electric Screwdriver Hand

It ’s been a few age sinceJapan ’s AISTupdated its HRP humanoid robot line . While the last loop , HRP-4C , strived to make the robot seem as human as potential with a naturalistic distaff head , the newindustrial - looking HRP-5Plooks like it take to the woods the factory before its bodywork was finished . It ’s not pretty , but the ‘ skills ’ incision of its resume already wait impressive .

Watching video of HRP-5P in action might seem intimate , and that ’s probably becauseJapan ’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technologyhas on the face of it taken some excogitation inspiration fromBoston Dynamic ’s atlas vertebra , which sports a similarly minimal framework that leaves all of its sensors , motors , and electronics exposed .

But the Creator of HRP-5P and ATLAS did n’t take this approaching because expose motor is en trend when it comes to automaton design . The autonomous functionality that allows this robot to walk over to a mesa , plunk up a bit of drywall , and screw it to the wall relies on a variety of different sensor locate all over its body to visualize its surroundings , obstacles , and objects its hands require to interact with . Hiding them behind physical structure panel would presumptively reduce their potency .

A fancy outer housing would also add weight to the robot . In its current design , HRP-5P comes in at about 222 - pound sign . That is n’t light by any stretching of the imaginativeness , but it ’s light enough to work in environments plan for human beings to navigate without special accommodation want for the automaton ’s weighting .

In late years , robotics engineers and investigator havemanaged to eventually cut the cordwith their creations . Even just a few year back , two - legged robots like HRP-5P and ATLAS required a thick cable at all times to allow for a constant link to a computer , as well as business leader . But a lighter automaton generates less of a strain on its motor , which in turn require less exponent to function . As a result , humanoid robots like HRP-5P andATLAScan now run on batteries they expect themselves , greatly improving their mobility , range of motions , and exemption . As far as chic menage robots go , I would lief trade myRoombafor a automaton like this that could ultimately refinish my cellar .

[ AISTviaIEEE Spectrum ]

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.