Humanoid robots have been shown to be capable of assisting workers with a variety of tasks, including carrying and moving heavy loads. In Japan, a DIY-helper robot has now been demonstrated, capable of sawing a plank of wood and hammering in a nail.

This feat is the work of Tokyo Robotics, which is developing a whole range of versatile bipedal robots. Not content with performing repetitive, physical tasks, they are beginning to specialise in more complex manual work.

Called Torobo, this humanoid robot can interact with its environment and nearby humans, and manipulate objects. The configuration of its arm and waist joints enables it to perform tasks with a range of movement similar to that of a human being. Automatic learning also enables it to master more complex movements, as in this case for DIY work.

This 1.60m- tall robot can now hammer in a nail on its own. It can hold a hammer correctly, control its power and withstand the hammer's instantaneous rebound force. It has also learned how to saw a plank of wood and clean a table with a cloth.

The DIY-helper joins a host of other, similar robots, developed mainly in the USA and China, and capable of dancing, using a coffee machine, doing yoga poses and even driving a car.

 - AFP Relaxnews