New robot skier takes to the slopes (w/ Video)
October 23, 2009 by Lin Edwards
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new robot skier has been invented that can be fitted with off-the-shelf skis. This is not the first skiing robot, since Japanese scientists have produced their own (see PhysOrg.com article here), but is bigger and heavier, being around the same size as an eight-year-old child.
The robot was invented by a Slovenian scientist, Bojan Nemec from the Jozef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana. Resembling a laptop on robotic legs fitted with ordinary skis, the robot can, with a little practice, ski down slopes slalom style and navigate a route between a series of race gates. The robot is stabilized by gyros and force sensors.
The robot skis using the carving technique, in which the skier turns on the edge of the skis, a technique that lets skis practically ski themselves, according to Nemec. Skiing by the other skiing techniques is simply too difficult for the robot. The robot is fitted with a camera, and a GPS to help measure its speed. The trajectory is calculated by the laptop using the camera to measure distance to the race gates.
Future developments of the robot include making it more robust, as at one time in Nemec's experiment the robot escaped control and crashed, breaking many parts.
Videos of the skiing robot were included in Nemec's recent presentation at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. In his presentation, Nemec said the robot could find practical application in testing ski equipment or for modeling of skiing for virtual reality applications.
More information:
• Ski Robot Could Decipher the Art of Skiing
• Bojan Nemec page
via IEEE Spectrum
© 2009 PhysOrg.com
-
cvj - Nov 01, 2009
- Rank: not rated yet
This is amazing. Just what technique is the robot using it is traditional ski technique. This could prove who's theory of mogul skiing is correct using angles as the robot does or using mogul specifc teccnique or a stacked position. IMO angles is how you should ski all over the Mt. as does the robot.- report abuse
Oct 15, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
