Dec 29, 2009

Remo Humanoid Kit/P, a new humanoid robot kit, was put on the market ( Dec 15, 2009 )

Asakusagiken put Remo Humanoid Kit/P ( Remo ) , a new humanoid robot kit on the market on Dec 15th, 2009. The kit is suitable for expert robot builders. The characteristics of the new kit are as follows:

(1)`Remote Brain` Type Robot System
Remo is controlled wireless by PC. `Remote Brain` means wireless control system by PC. It is possible to make variety of `Remo Brain` Robots using option parts.

(2)Radio control by Bluetooth
The main board of Remo has BluetoothVer2.0+EDR(BT)function which communicates to PC by 460.8kbps. A cheap USB type BT module can be used as the PC side BT module.

(3)Programming on PC
As the program is made on PC, there are some good points compared with writing program on the micro computer in the robot as follows;
1) It is possible to make long program without limited memory size.
2) High speed and complicated program such as image processing can be moved.
3) There are a lot of texts such as VisualStudio.

(4)Image sensor with 2 eyes
Main board has an image sensor with 2 eyes. Sample program of image processing is also prepared.

(5)Foot sole sensor
Foot sole sensor is developing for the robot kit. The sensor measuring the changes on the foot sole weight balance will make the balance control of the robot.

(6) Robot nerves system interchangeability
I/F of the robot are interchangeable with Asakusagiken robot nerves system AGB65 series. It is possible to use RC servo, serial servo, DC motor, to input sensor signal and output sound signal.

(7)Continuous moving with AC adaptor
It is possible to move continuously by the option LiPo battery charger baseboard with AC adaptor. In the case of the robot using serial servos, it is possible to move the robot for several days by keeping the servos free.

Price (excluding tax)

Remo Head Kit/P: 50,000 Yen
Remo, LiPo battery charge baseboard, LiPo battery, AC adaptor, Robot frame (just head parts), excluding servo and control board

Remo Humanoid Kit/P: 380,000 Yen
Remo, LiPo battery charge baseboard, LiPo battery, Ac adaptor, Robot frame, PRS-DE07MS(improved) x 20, serial servo control board

Last count 1242

Dec 15, 2009

A new flame set for wide moving legs of KHR-3HV will be put on the market ( Dec. 15, 2009 )

KONDO KAGAKU CO. LTD. will put a new flame set for wide moving KHR-3HV legs on the market on Dec 22nd, 2009. The flame set makes the roll axis range of KHR-3HV legs increase to more than 180° by exchanging of the waist parts of KHR-3HV original kit. The new flame is good for making variety of motions such as a keeper motion in the soccer game.

As the leg yow axis can not be used by the exchanging to the new flame set, the waist yaw axis can be used by the addition of a KRS-2552HV.

The sample motions will be uploaded to the KONDO web site on Dec. 22nd, 2009. The price of the new frame set is 6930 yen (tax included).

Last counts 1091

Dec 6, 2009

The 1st JSRC ( Japan Standard Class Robot Community ) Championship in Nagoya ( Nov. 22nd, 2009 )


The 1st JSRC ( Japan Standard Class Robot Community ) Championship was carried out in NAGOY MOTOR SHOW at Port Messe Nagoya on Nov. 22nd, 2009. Last year, organization of JSRC was announced by Mr. Iwaki during `Robofight`( Nov 2-3, 2008 ) in Osaka. The presentation was also reported . Then a tentative JSRC Championship was carried out during the 9th Robogong in Osaka on Jan. 11th, 2009.

Biped robot hobbyists seemed to be divided into four levels, the 1st level builders have custom-built robots for example ROBO-ONE GP, the second builders have custom-built robots with high torque servos, the third builders have kit based robots or remodeled robots using several high torque servos and the forth level are beginners with kit robots on the market.

The ROBO-ONE and almost other robot competitions have just open class and did not divide the class as standard class (kit based class) and open class. There were not standard class except for `Robofight` and `Robogong` produced by Mr. Iwaki. Therefore, the third level robot builders could not win the competition because of the difference of power of the robot. As the standard class includes the third level and the forth level, JSRC is expected to increase the opportunity joining the competition for builders who are remodeling the robot kit or beginner with kit robot.

Seven Groups are joining to the community. The inside of the parenthesis is competition name for the representatives.
`Kanto (Tokyo region)-Gumi (group) Robot Training Meeting` (Wonderful Robot Carnival)
`Kyushu (Fukuoka region) Training Meeting` (YOKA Robo Festival)
` Kagawa Humanoid Robot Workshop ` (Robo Country Ⅳ)
`Chubu (Nagoya region) Robot Promoting Commission ` (RoBo☆CHAMP)
` Himeji Robo-Challenge Executive Committee` (Himeji Robo-Challenge),
` ROBO-PRO ` (Robo-Pro Challenge Cup, Robo -Pro Station),
` Robotforce ` (Robofight , Robogong) .

The main body regulations are as follows.
1) Biped robots on the market which are not remodeled
2) Remodeled biped robots on the market which fit the following regulation*
3) Custom-built robots which fit the following regulation*

The JSRC regulation * for remodeled or custom-built robots are as follows;
Weight: 1.8 kg or under
Height: 40 cm or under
Sole size: 65 % of the foot or under and 45 % of the foot or under
Hands size: 60 cm or under
Total number of servo: 30 or less 5 or more
Number of servo with torque of 15 kg・cm or more: 5 or under.
Total torque limit is 2200 or under. Calculation is as follows; Total torque = (torque/speed)×{(voltage of loading battery) ^2 / (catalog voltage of the battery)^2}× number of servo
Gun or missile can be loaded and used
Turn over angle of robot are 15° to front and rear, and 20°to left and right

The rule of the tournament is as follows;
Each robot has 6 points. The robot knocked down loses 2 points. The robot slipped down loses 1 point. The robot gone out of the ring excluding in the case of getting up, loses 2 points. Taking time ( within 3 minutes, only one time each match, not take during knocked down but take during slipped down) for adjusting robot, loses 2 points. Gun or missile can launch 3 shells in each match and the robot hit loses just 2 points during the match. Robot lost 6 points is loser of the match.

Fifteen Robots of representatives of the groups joined the championship. From July 2009 to November 2009, each representative was decided in the competition which was sponcored above-mentioned group.

The robot and builder got the 1st JSRC championship was SuperdhygarⅡ by Hironocchi. The 2nd place was Robovie-XSF by zero and the 3rd place was Buraster by Akitsuka and XO3 by Ryuuya. Hironochi commented that his robot used `Murcury` as foot and `KRS-2552HV` as upper body servo for the weight 1.8 kg or under with high power.

The 16th ROBO-ONE was carried out with no regulation concerning the robot weight. The weight of robot is very important in the competition. Heavy robots have advantage compared with light ones especially in the robot fight competition. On the other hand, some UK1 ( under 1 kg ) class robot competition were also carried out recently. Hobbyist can join the robot competition suited their each robot.

The detail and videos were uploaded in the 1st JSRC result page.

Last counts 948

Dec 4, 2009

ROBO-ONE GP IN INTERNATIONAL ROBOT EXHIBITION 2009 (Nov. 28th, 2009)

`ROBO-ONE GP IN INTERNATIONAL ROBOT EXHIBITION 2009` sponsored by ROBO-ONE ENTERTEINMENT took place in Tokyo Big Sight on Nov. 28th, 2009.

INTERNATIONAL ROBOT EXHIBITION 2009 organized by Japan Robot Association (JARA) and the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Ltd., was held in Tokyo International Exhibition Center (Tokyo Big Sight) on Nov. 25-28th, 2009. The exhibition is carried out every two years.

The exhibition grounds were divided two big zones. One was for the industrial robot zone which was joined about 70 companies and the other was the service robot zone which joined about 70 companies. Topics of the Exhibition was described in robonable (in Japanese) which was also sponsored by the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Ltd. The details were also described in Robot Watch(in Japanese).

Three robot competitions took place in the service robot zone on 28th, which were ROBO-ONE GATE dancing competition started 10:15, Sunrise Hero Robot Battle started 13:30 and ROBO-ONE GP started 15:00.

ROBO-ONE Grand Prix (GP) is a biped robot competition which just excellent ROBO-ONE Fighter robots ( ROBO-ONE GP Robot ) could join. ROBO-ONE GP is opened several times in a year, using ring announcer and lined-girl as a human K-1 Fight, managed by ROBO-ONE ENTERTEINMET. The tournament was carried out 1 round for 3 min, the robot got 3 knock-down was winner.

The ROBO-ONE GP held in November is to decide the grand champion of ROBO-ONE GP in the year. The robots attended the tournament were each winner of GP tournament. The GP robots were Arimopurena, Great King Kaiser, Metaric Fighter, Mon ☆(star).

The ground champion of GP 2009 was Great King Kaiser . The 2nd place was Mon ☆(star). Vedoes were as follows;

Semifinal match:


Semifinal match:


Final match:

Last counts 812