The researchers, one of whom consults for Toyota, aim to improve Musashi's capabilities and develop next-generation robots and software. They envision that, in a few decades, humanoid robots like Musashi could be driving cars on the streets of Tokyo. Despite the current technical limitations, the researchers remain optimistic about the potential of their humanoid robot in autonomous driving.
Key takeaways:
- Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a "musculoskeletal humanoid" named Musashi that can drive a small electric car.
- Musashi is equipped with two cameras that act as eyes, allowing it to see the road and the views reflected in the car’s side mirrors. It can also perform tasks like rotating the car’s key, pulling the handbrake, and switching on the turn signal.
- Despite successfully teaching Musashi to use the car's steering wheel and obey traffic signals, the researchers faced challenges such as the robot's inability to maintain a consistent speed and its overly cautious approach to turning corners.
- The researchers plan to continue improving Musashi and developing next-generation robots and software, with the long-term vision of having humanoid robots like Musashi driving cars in real-world scenarios.