This Robot Can Do Its Own Repair And Modification

The University of Japan recently demonstrated a self-repairing robot at the Toronto-based Humanoids 2019 conference. The experts have taught the robot, called PR2, to do simple repairs on its own, like screw tightening.

The experts said that for now, the PR2 cannot determine which screws need to be tightened on its own, but it can detect positions that do not match its own digital models, which might be an indication of an issue. However, the robot can sometimes check if screws are tightened or not.

The experts also shared that the robot cannot reach some parts of its structure. If issues occur in one of these areas, the PR2 may have to rely on a fellow robot to tighten the screws for it. What the PR2 uses to tighten its screws is the rotation of its wrists.

The PR2 is 165 meters tall and weighs around 226.8 kg. It is powered by a 1.3-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, providing enough power for two hours of operation. It comes equipped with narrow-angle and wide-angle stereo cameras, and multiple sensors, enabling the PR2 to do several tasks with a high level of accuracy. Its hardware and software are powerful enough to enable it doing things like cleaning up, folding towels, or fetching cans from the fridge.

Another ability of the robot is that when it finishes tightening screws, it can also add extra bits of hardware to itself. PR2 was designed with mounting points of its head and neck. It can also reach these points with its manipulators, enabling self-modifying.