Hubo – The Disaster Relief Robot

Robotics is a field that has benefitted tremendously from advances in technology. Leonardo Da Vinci may have been the original trailblazer in robotics and engineering. His engineering notebook has been a coveted piece of scientific history as well as a resource. The once clumsy robotic arm has now given rise to robots that can perform detailed, careful movements. These robots can perform surgeries and, with the advent of Hubo and robots like it, they are saving lives. Robotics is coming to the forefront as a way to go where no human can go. What Is Hubo? Hubo is the winner of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) robotics challenge developed by the Korean Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST). The challenge has been ongoing since its inception after the 2011 nuclear disaster in Japan. The idea of the challenge is to build semi-autonomous robots able to go into dangerous situations and perform complex tasks. Hubo is a human-like robot with electromechanical and computer systems that enable it to move, communicate with people, and interact with the world around it. This robot is over five feet tall, made from aluminum, and weighs close to 176 pounds. It has three cameras and has the ability to see in 3D. It has arms that can perform lifting, twisting, and turning, all aided by its seven motors and motor drivers. Hubo Symbolizes the Future Hubo and its predecessors are just a few of the many life-saving robots yet to come spurred on by the challenge, advances in technology, and human imagination. Some imagine a future where robots take over the world in an I, Robot-style doomsday scenario, but others see a world where the possibilities are endless. Details of the Challenge This multi-leg, multi-year challenge had exceedingly difficult requirements. The challenge required the robots to drive a vehicle at the site. It had to get out of the vehicle in a rubble-strewn area. Then it had to remove debris from an entryway. It also needed to open a door and go into a building. Once the robot did this, it was required to climb a ladder and cross an industrial walkway. As if those steps weren’t challenging enough, it then had to use a tool to break through a concrete panel. Next, it had to find and close a valve near a leaking pipe. Lastly, it had to connect a fire hose to a standpipe and turn on the valve. Sound challenging? Surely it is. It took teams of some of the world’s brightest scientists to come up with these disaster relief “heroes,” and there’s still room for improvement! It Started as an Idea It all started with an idea that someone likely wrote down in a scientific notebook. It could have been a sentence, a drawing, or an observation. Inspiration doesn’t always become invention, but, when it does, it’s like a seed that has blossomed into a beautiful flower. Hubo is the amazing realization of a team of hardworking scientists. To learn more about scientific notebooks for every use from cleanrooms to classrooms, contact us at 1-800-537-3028.