Meet Musashi: The Humanoid Robot That Can Drive — Kind Of

Imagine watching a robot driving a car just like a human. Sounds straight out of a sci-fi movie, right? Well, researchers at the University of Tokyo have turned this fantasy into reality by creating a humanoid robot named Musashi, designed to drive a small electric car through a test track. Intrigued? Let’s dive into the details of this incredible achievement.

Behind the Robot: Musashi’s Key Features

Musashi isn’t your average robot. Here’s a quick rundown of its cool features:

• Vision and Mechanics: Musashi is equipped with two cameras for vision and mechanical hands to operate the car’s controls.
• Hands-on Operation: It can rotate the car’s key, pull the handbrake, and switch on the turn signal.
• Footwork: Musashi can press the accelerator and brake pedals with its special anti-slip “feet.”

Teaching a Robot to Drive

Teaching a robot to drive isn’t as simple as letting it loose on the streets. Here’s how the researchers did it:

• They fed Musashi raw sensor data to help it understand how to use the steering wheel.
• Through extensive training, Musashi learned to turn corners at intersections while obeying traffic light signals.

One of the most impressive feats was Musashi successfully making a turn at an intersection. However, don’t expect any speed…