A Transformer Resembling a Baggage Handler, Tosses Boxes

Swiss Mile’s ANYmal robot is an impressive creation with the ability to navigate as a wheeled quadruped or stand upright on its hind legs, utilizing its front wheels as hands. Currently, it is acquiring skills for practical tasks, adding a touch of humor to its learning process.

The design is truly remarkable; the name ANYmal is fitting for this creation. In its quadruped mode, it resembles a robotic dog, albeit with intricately designed legs and the unconventional addition of wheels. However, this combination results in highly efficient movement across various surfaces, including stairs. The question arises: why choose walking when rolling is an option, and why expend energy on bipedal balancing when four-legged movement is significantly easier?

Humanoid Robot Adaptability

However, as companies with a focus on humanoid robots emphasize, many of the tasks we envision for robots are currently tailored to the human form. In situations requiring a more human-like approach, ANYmal effortlessly crouches and stands up, employing its motorized wheels for self-balancing. Take a look at this video from a year ago:

Ascending allows its front limbs to function as arms. Although it is feasible to incorporate hidden hands that unfold for nimble manipulation in humanoid mode, the Swiss Mile team, a spinout company from ETH Zurich, has opted to explore the capabilities of this robot relying solely on its motorized wheels as makeshift hands.

Precision in Action

Among the initial tasks demonstrated in the video was the pressing of elevator buttons, a feat noteworthy for its precision compared to the less delicate nature of an 8-10-inch (20-25-cm) diameter wheel.

While the video portrayed ANYmal tackling tasks through reinforcement and imitation learning, attempting to reverse specific motions to accomplish opposite tasks, the team has recently delved into a novel approach termed “curiosity-driven learning.”

In the novel methodology, the robot is assigned a task, receives rewards solely upon task completion, and is motivated to explore and interact with items related to the goal in its environment. Essentially, it is instructed to dive in and autonomously figure things out.

Streamlining Learning Processes

This eliminates the need for individuals to engage in the laborious task of devising intricate reward systems to guide the robot toward its objective. Moreover, there is no requirement for someone to repetitively demonstrate the task to the robot for it to observe and learn. It suffices to set key variables, identify objects relevant to the task, and communicate the robot’s ultimate goal.

Through testing, this approach has yielded remarkable outcomes – the ANYmal successfully mastered the task of opening doors, completing it flawlessly 15 times consecutively. Additionally, it acquired the skill to pick up a box and deposit it into a bin, a crucial early task for versatile robots entering the workforce.

The intriguing aspect lies in how the ANYmal accomplishes these tasks. When presented with the straightforward objective of “get box into bin,” it has learned to lift and propel the boxes toward the bin, displaying a technique that might evoke pride from airport baggage handlers. There’s something oddly relatable in the way it tosses those boxes. Enjoy the video below.

Currently, ANYmal functions primarily as a research project. However, there is potential for Swiss Mile to transition it into a commercial venture. The impressive transformative capabilities of this robot could indeed be a significant breakthrough, merging the benefits of a humanoid structure with the efficient mobility of a wheeled quadruped. Exceptional work!

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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