The HRP-4 humanoid robot unveiled

Kawada Industries and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) have unveiled their new humanoid robot HRP-4 which is an upgrade on their older robots. The new humanoid stands 151cm tall and is much thinner than its predecessors. For Japan, HRP-4 is another step forward towards creating useful mechanical worker to combat a forthcoming shortage in the labor force and care for a fast aging population.

Other than terrestrial uses, let me remind you that the Japanese also plan on developing humanoid robots for exploring the Moon.

Going back to HRP-4, we should note that it is not a machine developed just for nice demos. Its creators are serious about making it available commercially to universities and other research institutes that can afford its $300,000 price tag. According to the recent press release, HRP-4 will go on sale as early as January 2011. I should mention that the HRP-4 will sell for $100,000 less than Willow Garage’s PR2. However, the price difference probably reflects that other than the obvious difference between the two robot, i.e., legs versus wheels, there are many differences in the number and types of sensors, overall hardware, and software.

Time will tell if the humanoid HRP-4 will be a success or not. In the meantime, we can all marvel at its slim design and skills in the video found here

The HRP-4 humanoid robot unveiled