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

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization

New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization

The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization , also known as 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...

 (NEDO), spearheaded by Kawada Industries and supported by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

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 engineering knowledge to address socio-economic needs...

 (AIST) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries

Kawasaki Heavy Industries

is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....

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

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 Platform"....

 series (Humanoid for Open Architecture Platform), which is manufactured by Fujitsu

Fujitsu

is a Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is the world's third-largest IT services provider measured by revenues....

.

Features and technology

The project started with three Honda P3

Honda P series

The P-series is a chronological progression of prototype humanoid robots as developed by Honda. The research conducted allowed the eventual creation of ASIMO.*P1 developed in 1993*P2 unveiled in 1996*P3 unveiled in 1997Notes:- See also :...

 which were bought from Honda

Honda

is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...

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

Telecommand

A telecommand is a command sent to control a remote system or systems not directly connected to the place from which the telecommand is sent. The word is derived from tele = remote , and command = to entrust/order...

 system.

An interesting feature that HRP-2 has is the ability to stand up again after lying flat on the floor either on its back or front. Something that Honda's ASIMO

ASIMO

is a humanoid robot created by Honda. Introduced in 2000, ASIMO, which is an acronym for "Advanced Step in Innovative MObility", was created to be a helper to people. With aspirations of helping people who lack full mobility, ASIMO is used to encourage young people to study science and mathematics...

 is not able to do.

AIST

AIST

AIST can refer to:*African Institute of Science and Technology*national institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, one of the biggest research institutions in Japan...

 and Kawada Industries have also revealed the HRP-4 bipedal humanoid. The HRP-4 stands 150cm (5′) tall and weighs 39kg (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

Honda P3 Honda P series The P-series is a chronological progression of prototype humanoid robots as developed by Honda. The research conducted allowed the eventual creation of ASIMO.*P1 developed in 1993*P2 unveiled in 1996*P3 unveiled in 1997Notes:- See also :... (1997)		HRP-1 (1997)	HRP-2P (1998)	(2002)	HRP-3P (2005)	(2007)	HRP-4C HRP-4C The HRP-4C is a female humanoid robot, created by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology - a Japanese research facility. An in-public demonstration was put on March 16, 2009. It measures 158 centimetres tall, and weighs 43 kilos - including a battery pack... (2009)	HRP-4 (2010)
Weight		130 kg	130 kg	58 kg	58 kg	65 kg	68 kg	43 kg	39 kg
Height		160.0 cm	160 cm	154.0 cm	154.0 cm	160.0 cm	160.6 cm	158 cm	151 cm
Width		60.0 cm	60 cm	65.0 cm	62.0 cm	66.4 cm	69.3 cm		44.0 cm
Depth		55.5 cm	55.5 cm	34.0 cm		36.3 cm	41.0 cm		27.0 cm
Walking speed		2 km/h	2 km/h	2 km/h	2 km/h	2 km/h	2 km/h
Battery		Ni-Zn Nickel-zinc battery The nickel–zinc battery is a type of rechargeable battery that may be used in cordless power tools, cordless telephones, digital cameras, battery operated lawn and garden tools, professional photography, flashlights, electric bikes, and light electric vehicle sectors.Larger nickel–zinc battery...   135 V Volt The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...  / 6 Ah Ampere-hour An ampere-hour or amp-hour is a unit of electric charge, with sub-units milliampere-hour and milliampere second...			Ni-Mh Nickel metal hydride battery A nickel–metal hydride cell, abbreviated NiMH, is a type of rechargeable battery similar to the nickel–cadmium cell. The NiMH battery uses a hydrogen-absorbing alloy for the negative electrode instead of cadmium. As in NiCd cells, the positive electrode is nickel oxyhydroxide...   48 V Volt The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...  / 18 Ah Ampere-hour An ampere-hour or amp-hour is a unit of electric charge, with sub-units milliampere-hour and milliampere second...	Ni-Mh Nickel metal hydride battery A nickel–metal hydride cell, abbreviated NiMH, is a type of rechargeable battery similar to the nickel–cadmium cell. The NiMH battery uses a hydrogen-absorbing alloy for the negative electrode instead of cadmium. As in NiCd cells, the positive electrode is nickel oxyhydroxide...   48 V Volt The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...  / 14.8 Ah Ampere-hour An ampere-hour or amp-hour is a unit of electric charge, with sub-units milliampere-hour and milliampere second...				Ni-Mh Nickel metal hydride battery A nickel–metal hydride cell, abbreviated NiMH, is a type of rechargeable battery similar to the nickel–cadmium cell. The NiMH battery uses a hydrogen-absorbing alloy for the negative electrode instead of cadmium. As in NiCd cells, the positive electrode is nickel oxyhydroxide...
Continuous operating time		25 minutes		25 minutes			60 minutes	120 minutes	20 minutes
Degrees of Freedom Degrees of freedom (engineering) In mechanics, degrees of freedom are the set of independent displacements and/or rotations that specify completely the displaced or deformed position and orientation of the body or system...		28		28	30	30	36	42	42	34
Sensors	Eye stereo camera	2		2	3	3	3	3
	Eye-camera	-		-	-	-	2	2
	Scanning range finder	-		-	-	-	-	Yes
Image
Price										26,000,000JPY

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

Yutaka Izubuchi

is a Japanese anime designer and director. Izubuchi is credited for designing costumes, characters and creatures, but most of his designs are mechanical...

.

3. – "C" means "Cybernetic Human".

Spec sheets

• HRP-2P - from Kawada Industries, Inc.
• HRP-2 - from Kawada Industries, Inc.
• HRP-3P - from Kawada Industries, Inc.
• HRP-3 - from Kawada Industries, Inc.
• HRP-4 - from Kawada Industries, Inc.
• HTP-4 - from AIST

External links

• Kawada Industries, Inc. - Mechatronics
• General Robotix,Inc
• AIST Humanoid Robotics Group - academic side to the HRP project
• Press release about the HRP-4C
• HRP-4 - The Bipedal Robot - Video demonstration