e-nuvo WHEEL-M: Japan Gets New Self-Balancing Robot (Video)

Serkan Toto

Dr. Serkan Toto is an independent consultant and advisor focusing on Japan’s web, mobile and social gaming industries. Based in Tokyo, he works together with financial institutions and startups worldwide. Serkan has been the Japan contributor for TechCrunch.com since 2008. He is sept-lingual, holds an MBA and is a PhD in economics. → Learn More

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

Most of the robots out there have one common problem: They can only move in a mechanical and chopping motion and can’t keep their balance. Enter ZMP‘s e-Nuvo WHEEL, a two-wheeled robot [JP] that looks quite mundane but boasts some amazing self-balancing skills.

As you can see in the video embedded below, the e-Nuvo WHEEL can move around on its two wheels smoothly and without losing its balance. The main bullet point here is the robot’s ability to do this on a soft mattress that has a slightly “uneven” surface.

My hope is they can one day use this technology in a humanoid (I can’t think of many humanoids that have these self-balancing skills at this point).

The battery-powered robot comes with a camera, stands 46cm tall, and weighs 6kg. ZMP is actually selling the e-Nuvo WHEEL for $1,020 (academic institutions get a $120 discount).

Via NODE [JP]

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