Robot unveiled the operating system by Softbank Android ASRA C1 and V-Sido

Earlier this month, surprised the Japanese telecommunications giant Softbank everyone by revealing personal interactive robot called pepper, which goes on sale in Japan next year. Now we learn that it is not the only robot that Softbank was in the works. Announced that one of its subsidiaries, Asratec last week that it had been built on the biped model called Android ASRA C1 and has also developed a new V-Sido operating system for robots.

Isra C1 is 1.2 meters long, and weighs 13.5 kg and has 35 degrees of freedom, in accordance with the specifications issued by the company. Member machinery powered by Futaba, and its rotation, accelerometer, camera, and other sensors. Parts of his body have soft padding, which makes it safer for people to interact with the robot.

Asratec, based in Tokyo, has made a series of videos showing people standing and moving his head and arms. Android did not work, but the creators seem to make great efforts to improve the capabilities of its self-balancing. Android can absorb shock and automatically adjusts its position to avoid falling when it is disturbed, for example, a child throwing the ball on his face.



The videos also show how you can control the robot using a joystick or click and drag on the parties to form a virtual 3D. Another option is standing in front of the Kinect sensor with Android copy your movements. We are not sure what this application can be in a family environment, although we can imagine applications in the field of entertainment (the robot to follow the dance steps of your own, for example).



Asratec was founded in July 2013, and its goal is to develop products to help robots robotics technology advances. The main product is called V-Sido, which consists of a set of software and hardware module.

Software, V-Sido OS, and can be used to control a variety of commercial kits and robot actuators. Thank you to the inverse kinematics, users can generate suggestions in real time using the program interface, or other controllers. Asratec has released an alpha version of the V-Sido OS.

The hardware unit called V-Sido connection. It is based on the ARM board that controls servo motor series in collaboration with the V-Sido OS.

Asratec seems built on Android ASRA C1 to test and demonstrate the versatility of the V-Sido systems it. It is not clear whether the company plans to commercialize the robot, while the CEO of Softbank, Masayoshi Son seems determined to make the robotic assistants in people's lives.

Isra C1 design company in collaboration with two other Japanese companies, RT GK Foundation and vitality.


Image: Asratec
An unusual thing about Android an extra pair of appendages attached to his chest [in the image on the left. The goal is to be caught and handled directly by the user, and lead to a robot arm in the manner and master slave. Idea, we suppose, is that you can use the robot to grasp things for you, or may have learned how to perform manipulation tasks.

V-Sido has many advanced features that are not commonly found in software with groups hobby robot company, and many users would like additional capacity. On the other hand, V-Sido still seems to lack the basic functions, such as the ability to create canned movements that can be activated on demand when set to a game console, for example.

If Asratec added these and other features, and with the support of its parent company is strong, it can be seen wide adoption of its V-Sido between amateur and companies to develop new robotic applications. As Israel C1, and we are confident that the founders and learned to play football, he may appeal to ASIMO meeting very soon.

[Asratec ASRA C1]