The UCLA Samueli School of Engineering has unveiled its most advanced humanoid robot ARTEMIS, an acronym for Advanced Robotic Technology for Enhanced Mobility and Improved Stability. Developed by researchers at UCLA’s Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa), ARTEMIS is a general-purpose humanoid robot that focuses on bipedal locomotion, particularly on uneven terrains.
Standing 4-foot-8 and weighing 85 pounds, ARTEMIS can walk on rough and unstable surfaces, run, and jump while maintaining stability even when pushed or shoved. During lab tests, the robot was clocked walking at 2.1 meters per second, making it potentially the world’s fastest-walking humanoid robot. It is also believed to be the first humanoid robot designed in an academic setting and the third such machine to be capable of running.
The robot’s major innovation lies in its custom-designed actuators, which mimic biological muscles, giving it excellent balance and the ability to run. Unlike the rigid, position-controlled actuators found on most robots, the actuators are springy and force-controlled. ARTEMIS is also unique in that its actuators are electrically driven, providing cleaner, quieter, and more efficient operation than traditional hydraulic systems.
ARTEMIS is equipped with custom-designed force sensors on each foot, an orientation unit, and cameras in its head, helping it perceive its surroundings and adapt to its environment. The robot, which will participate in the soccer competition of the 2023 RoboCup in France, will continue to be tested on its running, soccer-playing skills, ability to traverse uneven terrain and stairs, falling, getting back up, and carrying objects.
The development of ARTEMIS was spearheaded by Taoyuanmin Zhu and Min Sung Ahn, both recent doctoral graduates in mechanical engineering from UCLA. Funding for the project came partly from 232 donors who contributed more than $118,000 through a UCLA Spark crowdfunding campaign and a grant from the Office of Naval Research.
