Humanoid robot goes to work on Linux

Japanese manufacturer Kawada has released details of a Linux-based humanoid robot that it believes could be employed in the workplace.

The robot, called HRP-2P (which stands for Humanoid Robotics Project-2 Prototype) runs on a real-time version of the Linux operating system, called ART-Linux. ART-Linux is based on the well-known RT-Linux, which is designed for robotic applications, as well as data acquisition and systems control functions.

To see images of the HRP-2P robot, click here.

HRP-2P was designed to resemble a human, with similar degrees of freedom in its arms and legs. The silver and blue-coloured HRP-2P is 154cm tall (just over 5 feet), and weighs 58kg.

Kawada says it designed the robot to be functional and to carry out work, not simply to be entertaining. Owners of the HRP-2P will be able to edit its code to modify behaviour for various tasks, said the company.

Linux is proving a popular choice for robotics, partly due to the flexibility of the operating system -- developers can customise the code freely for their own purposes. Fujitsu created a robot based on Linux last year, called Hoap-1. In disclosing the internal architecture of Hoap-1 Fujitsu urged open-source developers to try and improve the robot's operating system code.

Kawada developed HRP-2P in collaboration with Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. The company is already developing a follow-up to HRP-2P, and has asked a TV animator to help with its design.

Have your say instantly, and see what others have said. Go to the ZDNet news forum.

Let the editors know what you think in the Mailroom.