Since its introduction more than 15 years ago, the Asimo
robot, or Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility had been frequently used in
various parts of the world start from demonstration to practical functions. The
other name such as Boston Dynamics was also trying to compete with Honda
through Atlas, and now the competition becomes more interesting with the
presence of a robot from Iran.
Actually this is not the first time Iran 'tinkering' with a
robot because the Center for Advanced Systems and Technologies team from
University of Tehran has started to do the research since 2007. Continuing this
effort, Iranian scientists introduce the third generation of Surena robot.
Broadly speaking, the ability of this robot is basically similar to Asimo, but
it seems the development direction of Surena III is slightly different.
Surena-III weighs 98 kilograms and stands 190 centimeters
tall - taller than the average human. The white plastic casing is covering the
majority of the body surface, combined with two LED eyes that are placed on the
visor area. Like a humanoid robot, it has a pair of legs and arms. Its
appearance is slicker than the second generation which resembled to Asimo.
Dr. Agil Yousefi-Koma, professor of mechanical engineering
who is responsible for leading the project explains that Surena is designed as
a research platform to explore the bipedal movement system, the interaction of
robot and humans, as well as other challenges in the robotics realm. According
to him, the robot is a symbol of peace and humanity in advanced
technology.
The robot has a number of sensors, including the 3D
Microsoft Kinect vision module. The joints are powered by 31 servomotors, with
six levels of movements in each leg, two in the neck, seven on each arm, one in
the hand, and one in the body. The Robot Operating System (ROS) software is
responsible for controlling the robot, supervised by an operator.
The combination of all technologies makes Surena III is able
to walk on uneven surfaces, kick the ball, and hold objects. There are 19
levels of movement enhancement from the second generation, and it has a speed
of seven-inch per second. Additionally, Surena III is also able to interact
with humans by using the voice recognition feature and conversation module,
although for now this robot could only speak in Farsi.
Dr. Yousef-Koma explains that Surena is not created to
participate with the 'competition of robot development’; it is more aimed at
the implementation of disaster scenarios. The making process of Surena III
reportedly took almost four years, done by 70 people from different institutes.