BITS humanoid draws crowds at German expo

<p style="text-align: justify;">A remote-controlled humanoid displayed by the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, was the star attraction at the recently-concluded nine-day Ideen Expo in Hanover, Germany.<br /><br />Humanoid AcYut 3 danced, showed kung-fu moves, played soccer, and performed acrobatics exactly as its human controller, who wore a <img style="border: 3px solid black; margin: 3px 4px; float: right;" src="https://images.shiksha.com/mediadata/images/1254917919phpTc5i5w.jpeg" alt="" width="150" height="110">tele-operated body suit. Visitors tried out the body suit and watched AcYut 3 imitate all their actions.<br /><br />Developed by students under faculty guidance, AcYut 3 was the only humanoid at the biennial event showcasing research by academic institutions and industries. The organisers especially invited the BITS Pilani team of Sushma Vallabhaneni, Akash Gupta and Mohamad Ariz. <br /><br />Speaking about the potential of remote control humanoids, project mentor Prof. RK Mittal said, &ldquo;We are planning to develop humanoids for applications such as in nuclear power, and in places affected by earthquakes and other natural calamities, where it&rsquo;s dangerous for humans to go. Humanoids used for these applications can be controlled only from a distance. The student team has developed a wearable jacket to control AcYut. The students are working on perfecting the jacket.&rdquo; The team took part in the Robogames in San Francisco in 2008 and 2009.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Author: HT</strong></p> <p><strong>Date: 7th Oct., 2009</strong></p>