The robot is called Bex, and it is an automated incarnation of the ibex (mountain goat) created by Kawasaki. The Bex robot was introduced to the general public at the recent iREX exhibition in Japan and is a kind of spin-off from the RHP (Robust Humanoid Platform) program, under which Kawasaki specialists are developing humanoid robots of the Kaleido series.
The RHP program has been active since 2015. But according to Masayuki Soube, the head of the RHP program, the specialists encountered a number of significant difficulties in the development of upright humanoid robots, and a more versatile solution in the form of the Bex robot was born.
It is worth noting that the Bex robot has a hybrid propulsion system. In most cases, it moves on its limbs like all other four-legged robots we know. But if the nature of the movement surface allows, the robot can kneel and engage the wheels installed there, which gives it a faster and more economical mode of movement.
Also of particular note is that the Bex version of the robot shown in the first picture has a sort of steering wheel and a clearly defined place for a human to sit. Given its carrying capacity of 100 kilograms, it could very well be used as an exotic vehicle.
But transporting people is not at all what the developers of the robot originally had in mind. From their point of view, the Bex robot can be used to carry goods in warehouses, construction sites, and production facilities. The robot can also become “remote eyes” for people engaged in inspection and control of industrial equipment, buildings, agricultural land, etc.
The lower part of the base of the robot together with the elements of the motor system is the base, on top of which it is allowed to install a variety of tools and devices, allowing to adapt the robot to perform any particular work. “If the robot is going to work on a construction site, we will install one set of attachments on top. For mechanical production, the robot will have a completely different set of tools,” says Masayuki Saube. “The agricultural version will have a completely different set of tools, but the basis of it all, the base, will always be the same.”
And in conclusion, the arrival of the Bex robot could mark a return to the days when the famous Boston Dynamics company was working intensively on the BigDog and LS3 robots. Despite the successes achieved, these very interesting projects have been closed, but let’s hope that Kawasaki specialists will still be able to bring their unusual child to the level of practical application.
