Toyota Motor Corp. unveiled on Tuesday its third-generation humanoid T-HR3 robot, a unit designed to partner with humans — who remotely control it — and assist them in their daily lives.
Toyota said it hopes to utilize the T-HR3 in a variety of settings in the future to provide utility in places such as homes, medical facilities, construction sites, disaster areas and in outer space.
"The Partner Robot team members are committed to using the technology in T-HR3 to develop friendly and helpful robots that co-exist with humans and assist them in their daily lives," said Akifumi Tamaoki, general manager of the Partner Robot Division.
Toyota has been developing industrial robots since the 1980s. The automaker, which used its expertise in automotive technologies to design the device, says the robot can be used to assist doctors, caregivers, patients, the elderly and people who are physically challenged.
The user controls the T-HR3 through wearable gear. The robot mimics the movements of the user as if it were an avatar. And through a head-mounted display, the user can see from the robot's perspective.
The T-HR3 employes the Torque Servo Module technique to ensure smooth movement.
