Humanoid robots take to the skies

A team of researchers at IIT-CNR (Institute of Informatics and Telematics) in Pisa, Italy has been hard at work on wholly new dimension of the humanoid robot story. Despite looking like an a life size Mega Man filtered built by Sid from Toy Story, iRonCub3 is a bid to pioneer another form of location in a conversation dominated by legs and wheels.

The school’s researchers refer to the bipedal bot as, “the world’s first jet-powered flying humanoid robot specifically designed to operate in real-world environments.” That’s a long way of saying that the system has been outfitted with four jet engines – two on the back and two effectively serving as hands. The set up resembles the Gravity Industries jet pack that made the rounds a few years back.

iRonCub3 had its own moment in the spotlight, when IIT showcased an earlier version some nine months ago. A new paper published in the Nature Communications Engineering journal offers a more insight into the project, while noting that the robot got around 50 centimeters (1.64 feet) of air, while maintaining system stability. It’s one small leap for robotkind.

“Working with jet engines that emit gas flows at nearly the speed of sound and temperatures around 800°C is no easy task,” he says We test outdoors, in all weather, and this result was only possible thanks to a phenomenal team working relentlessly — days, nights, and under pressure.”

It probably says a lot about the state of the world that my mind went immediately to warfare when considering the applications of a flying biped. While there’s no doubt money to be made of that side of things, the researchers say they’re focused on search and rescue missions, inspections, and other “missions where both manipulation capabilities and aerial mobility are essential.”