The Humanoid Robotics Project (HRP) is a project for development of general domestic helper robots, sponsored by Japan's

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry The or METI, is a ministry of the Government of Japan. It was created by the 2001 Central Government Reform when the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) merged with agencies from other ministries related to economic activities, ...

(METI) and

New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization The , or NEDO, is Japan's largest public management organization promoting research and development as well as deployment of industrial, energy and environmental technologies. In 2003, NEDO was reorganized as an Independent Administrative Institu ...

(NEDO), spearheaded by

Kawada Industries , also read as Kawata, is a common Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Atsuko Kawada (born 1965), Japanese actress *Jun Kawada, poet *Junko Kawada (born 1974), J-pop singer *, Japanese footballer * Mami Kawada, J-pop singe ...

and supported by the

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology The , or AIST, is a Japanese research facility headquartered in Tokyo, and most of the workforce is located in Tsukuba Science City, Ibaraki, and in several cities throughout Japan. The institute is managed to integrate scientific and engineer ...

(AIST) and

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (or simply Kawasaki) is a Japanese public multinational corporation manufacturer of motorcycles, engines, heavy equipment, aerospace and defense equipment, rolling stock and ships, headquartered in Chūō, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It ...

, Inc. The HRP series also goes by the name Promet. The HRP should not be confused with the

HOAP The HOAP series robots are an advanced humanoid robot platform manufactured by Fujitsu Automation in Japan. HOAP is an abbreviation for "Humanoid for Open Architecture Open architecture is a type of computer architecture or software architecture i ...

series (Humanoid for

Open Architecture Open architecture is a type of computer architecture or software architecture intended to make adding, upgrading, and swapping components with other computers easy. For example, the IBM PC, Amiga 500 and Apple IIe have an open architecture suppor ...

Platform), which is manufactured by

Fujitsu is a Japanese multinational information and communications technology equipment and services corporation, established in 1935 and headquartered in Tokyo. Fujitsu is the world's sixth-largest IT services provider by annual revenue, and the la ...

Features and technology

The project started with three

Honda P3 The P series is a chronological progression of prototype humanoid robots as developed by Honda. The research conducted allowed the eventual creation of ASIMO, the world's most advanced humanoid robot of its time. Honda Motor's President and CEO Hir ...

which were bought from

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...

. And, the project developed them as the HRP-1 with original features, such as

telecommand A telecommand or telecontrol is a command sent to control a remote system or systems not directly connected (e.g. via wires) to the place from which the telecommand is sent. The word is derived from ''tele'' = remote (Greek), and ''command'' = to ...

system. An interesting feature HRP-2 has is the ability to stand up again after lying flat on the floor, either on its back or front—something Honda's ASIMO is not able to do. AIST and Kawada Industries have also revealed the HRP-4

bipedal Bipedalism is a form of terrestrial locomotion where an organism moves by means of its two rear limbs or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a bipedal manner is known as a biped , meaning 'two feet' (from Latin ''bis'' 'double' ...

humanoid. The HRP-4 stands 150 cm (5′) tall and weighs 39 kg (86 lbs). Kawada Industries has also developed the NEXTAGE system, envisioned as a production robot that works alongside human workers. The NEXTAGE not a biped but consists of a torso and arms on a fixed base.

Specifications

Notes: :1. – For reference to compare with the HRP-1. :2. - The external appearances of HRP-2 and HRP-3 were designed by

Yutaka Izubuchi is a Japanese anime designer, screenwriter and director. Izubuchi is credited for designing costumes, characters and creatures, but most of his designs are mechanical (both robots and other vehicles). He created and directed the '' RahXephon'' s ...

. :3. – "C" means "Cybernetic Human".

References

Spec sheets

HRP-2P
- from Kawada Industries, Inc.

- from Kawada Industries, Inc.

- from Kawada Industries, Inc.

- from Kawada Industries, Inc.

- from Kawada Industries, Inc.

- from AIST

External links

Kawada Industries, Inc. - Mechatronics

AIST Humanoid Robotics Group
- academic side to the HRP project

HRP-4 - The Bipedal Robot
- Video demonstration Robots of Japan Humanoid robots 1990s robots 2000s robots {{robot-stub