Spot, the world famous product of Boston Dynamics, today has a competitor. This is Bex, a quadrupedal robot developed by Kawasaki Robotics with industries such as construction and agriculture in mind.
Unveiled at the International Robot Exhibition (iREX) 2022 in Tokyo, the machine is intended to be a hybrid between androids and artificial intelligence (AI) vehicles equipped with wheels. “The walking technology created in the development of humanoid robots can ultimately be applied to quadrupedal robots,” he said. Masayuki Soubeteam leader after creation.
The engineer claimed that Bex could transport materials on a construction site. In fact, the design of it is projected to carry 100 kg (220 pounds). Of course, it has the potential to carry 160 kg (almost 353 pounds), since it was built on the platform of the Kaleido biped.
In agricultural work, it could also autonomously detect the need to move freshly harvested fruits or vegetables, exemplified the expert about Bex, whose silhouette resembles the ibex that live in the mountainous regions of Africa and Eurasia.
What is interesting about the platform, which is also reminiscent of camelids like llamas, alpacas and guanacos that inhabit South America, is their dynamism, according to Soube. That is, Kawasaki may well modify the structure according to the needs of customers. The neck and head of the robot can disappear, but always keeping the four legs that characterize it.
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