2nd place for Technion researcher in robotics competition

2nd place for Technion researcher in robotics competition

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30729639_mRobots can function in place of man in various tasks and using unmanned platforms can save human lives in many different fields, from scanning disaster-stricken areas to missions of full military nature such as disabling bombs meant to injure soldiers. The increasing use of robots makes for a healthy competition among different minds labouring on inventing and developing the robots of tomorrow.

Boris Haimov, a post-doctoral researcher of nano-technology at the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion), has won second place in RealSense developement robotics competition held by the international Intel company. Haimov’s developement, which has earned him a $10,000 prize, is the Remonoid, a remote-controlled humanoid robot, which might replace humans in carrying out dangerous tasks like disabling explosive devices, exposing tunnels, experimenting with dangerous substances, flights to space and rescuing injured people in disaster areas.

remonoidThe “Remonoid”

The competition required participants from all over the world to develop a camera application based on Intel’s RealSense technology. “This is a technology that allows the user to control computers and robots through their natural body movements”, explained Haimov. “In other words, when I turn my head, the robot turns its head, and when i life an arm the robot does the same. I can talk through him via speaker, hear through him via microphone and see through its eyes via camera built in the platform. This technology is revolutionary in the way that man controls a computer, and is in continuance of former revolutions, the keyboard, the mouse and touch screens, in that in cancels the need of an artifical interface and allows man to control the computer or robot with natural movements.”