The Samueli Engineering School at the University of California, Los Angeles, has produced a full-sized humanoid robot that is equipped with innovative technology that is the first of its type.

The robot, which has been given the name ARTEMIS, which stands for Advanced Robotic Technology for Enhanced Mobility and Improved Stability, is scheduled to make its way to Bordeaux, France, in the month of July. There, it is going to take part in the RoboCup 2023 competition for the sport of soccer, which is a meeting of international scientists in which robots demonstrate their capabilities in a variety of different categories.

The researchers who worked on the project at UCLA’s Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory, also known as RoMeLa, aimed to create a humanoid robot that could be used for a variety of purposes, with a particular emphasis on moving around on two feet across uneven ground. It can walk on uneven and rough terrain, run, and jump, and it has a height of 4 feet 8 inches and a weight of 85 pounds. Its height is measured in inches, not feet. ARTEMIS has the ability to maintain her equilibrium in spite of being violently pushed or otherwise disrupted.

According to the researchers from UCLA, ARTEMIS has been timed walking at 2.1 meters per second while being tested in the laboratory. If these results hold up, ARTEMIS will be the humanoid robot with the quickest walking speed in the world. Moreover, it is thought to be the first robot constructed by humanoids in an academic environment that is able to perform running actions, and only the 3rd humanoid robot ever created.

The robot’s actuators, which are apparatuses that create motion from stored energy, were custom-designed to behave like organic muscles, which is the robot’s most significant contribution to technological advancement. The majority of robots have actuators that are rigid and controlled by position, however, these actuators are springy and controlled by force instead.

Dennis Hong, a professor of mechanical and aeronautical engineering at UCLA and the director of RoMeLa, stated that “this is the key underlying its exceptional balance on uneven terrain while walking and it’s capacity of running action in which both feet leave the ground simultaneously” This is the very first robot of this kind ever created.

The fact that ARTEMIS’ actuators are electrically powered rather than being under the direction of hydraulics, which depends on variations in fluid pressure to generate movement, is yet another significant step forward in technology. As a consequence of this, it produces less noise and functions more effectively than robots that are equipped with hydraulic actuators. Moreover, it is cleaner, as hydraulic systems are renowned for leaking fluids, but this one does not.

The network of actuators and sensors that ARTEMIS possesses is what enables it to react and modify its behavior in response to the information it gathers. The machine is able to maintain its equilibrium thanks to the force sensors that have been specifically created for each foot and are attached to it. It also contains cameras and an orientation device built into its head, which together enable it better understand its environment.

In order to get ARTEMIS ready for the RoboCup competition, student researchers at UCLA have been putting the robot through its paces by taking it on frequent walks about the campus. On the UCLA Intramural Field, they are planning to conduct comprehensive testing of the robot’s ability to run and play soccer over the next few weeks. Researchers will also examine how well it can navigate stairs and uneven terrain, as well as its capability to fall and get back up, and how well it can carry goods. RoMeLa’s Twitter account frequently posts updates regarding the testing findings of the robot as well as the paths that the robot will take while walking around campus. This provides Bruins with the opportunity to observe ARTEMIS in action and engage in conversation with researchers.

Taking ARTEMIS out for testing in the field is a big deal for us at UCLA, and we see it as a chance to get the word out about STEM fields to a much larger audience, Hong said.

The ARTEMIS software and hardware systems were built by Min Sung Ahn and Taoyuanmin Zhu, respectively. Both of these individuals recently completed their doctoral studies at UCLA in mechanical engineering.

The developers at RoMeLa, which has been producing humanoid robots for greater than twenty years, are hopeful that their latest creation, ARTEMIS, will bring home trophy number six from the annual RoboCup competition.