iCub

File:ICub sciencefestival 1.jpg

The dimensions of the iCub are similar to that of a 3.5-year-old child. The robot is controlled by an on-board PC104 controller which communicates with actuators and sensors using CANBus.

It utilises tendon driven joints for the hand and shoulder, with the fingers flexed by teflon-coated cable tendons running inside teflon-coated tubes, and pulling against spring returns. Joint angles are measured using custom-designed Hall-effect sensors and the robot can be equipped with torque sensors. The finger tips can be equipped with tactile touch sensors, and a distributed capacitive sensor skin is being developed.

The software library is largely written in C++ and uses YARP for external communication via Gigabit Ethernet with off-board software implementing higher level functionality, the development of which has been taken over by the RobotCub Consortium.{{cite conference

| url =http://www.robotcub.org/misc/papers/08_Metta_Sandini_Vernon_etal.pdf

| title =The iCub humanoid robot: an open platform for research in embodied cognition

| first =Giorgio

| last =Metta

|author2=Sandini Giulio |author3=Vernon David |author4=Natale Lorenzo |author5= Nori Francesco

| year =2008

| conference =PerMIS’08

|access-date =2018-01-01

}} The robot was not designed for autonomous operation, and is consequently not equipped with onboard batteries or processors required for this —instead an umbilical cable provides power and a network connection.

In its final version, the robot has 53 actuated degrees of freedom organized as follows:

• 7 in each arm
• 9 in each hand (3 for the thumb, 2 for the index, 2 for the middle finger, 1 for the coupled ring and little finger, 1 for the adduction/abduction)
• 6 in the head (3 for the neck and 3 for the cameras)
• 3 in the torso/waist
• 6 in each leg

The head has stereo cameras in a swivel mounting where eyes would be located on a human and microphones on the side. It also has lines of red LEDs representing mouth and eyebrows mounted behind the face panel for making facial expressions.

Since the first robots were constructed the design has undergone several revisions and improvements, for example smaller and more dexterous hands,{{cite web | url = https://www.engadget.com/2010/03/12/icub-gets-upgraded-with-tinier-hands-better-legs/ | title =iCub gets upgraded with tinier hands, better legs | work = Engadget | last = June | first = Laura | date = 12 March 2010 | access-date=2010-07-30}} and lighter, more robust legs with greater joint angles and which permit walking rather than just crawling.{{cite conference|title=The Mechanical Design of the New Lower Body for the Child Humanoid robot 'iCub'|conference=IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation Conference, (ICRA 2009)|last=Tsagarakis|first=N.G.|author2=Vanderborght Bram|author3=Laffranchi Matteo|author4=Caldwell D.G|access-date=2010-07-30|url=http://www.robotcub.org/misc/review5/papers/09_Tsagarakis_etal.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720064920/http://www.robotcub.org/misc/review5/papers/09_Tsagarakis_etal.pdf|archive-date=20 July 2011|url-status=dead}}

File:ICub Innorobo Lyon 2014.JPG

The iCub has been demonstrated with capabilities to successfully perform the following tasks, among others:

• crawling, using visual guidance with optic marker on the floor{{cite AV media |date=16 April 2010 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRqdIFCIZd8 |title=Crawling |publisher=iCub HumanoidRobot |via=YouTube |access-date=18 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611011417/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRqdIFCIZd8 |archive-date=11 June 2016 |url-status=live}}
• solving complex 3D mazes {{cite conference | title=Learning to Fire at Targets by an iCub Humanoid Robot | conference=AAAI Spring Symposium 2013 : Designing Intelligent Robots : Reintegrating AI II | last=Nath | first=Vishnu | author2=Stephen Levinson | access-date=2013-09-29 | url=http://www.aaai.org/ocs/index.php/SSS/SSS13/paper/viewFile/5701/5935 | archive-date=4 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053716/http://www.aaai.org/ocs/index.php/SSS/SSS13/paper/viewFile/5701/5935 | url-status=dead }}{{cite AV media |date=8 March 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78u8FkVc3Jc |title=iCub autonomously solving a puzzle |publisher=Vishnu Nath |via=YouTube |access-date=18 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160516231730/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78u8FkVc3Jc |archive-date=16 May 2016 |url-status=live}}
• archery, shooting arrows with a bow and learning to hit the center of the target{{cite conference|title=Learning the skill of archery by a humanoid robot iCub | conference=IEEE International Conference on Humanoid Robots, (Humanoids 2010) | last=Kormushev | first=Petar |author2=Calinon Sylvain |author3=Saegusa Ryo |author4= Metta Giorgio | access-date=2011-03-19 | url=http://kormushev.com/papers/Kormushev_Humanoids-2010.pdf}}{{cite AV media |date=22 September 2010 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCXvAqIDpIw |title=Robot Archer iCub |publisher=PetarKormushev |via=YouTube |access-date=18 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122123623/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCXvAqIDpIw |archive-date=22 January 2021 |url-status=live}}
• facial expressions, allowing the iCub to express emotions{{cite AV media |date=17 March 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsrs0e_9iX8 |title=iCub facial expressions |publisher=Vislab Lisboa |via=YouTube |access-date=18 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905011140/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsrs0e_9iX8 |archive-date=5 September 2020 |url-status=live}}
• force control, exploiting proximal force/torque sensors{{cite AV media |date=11 October 2010 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUErJodlPtQ |title=Force control exploiting proximal force/torque sensors - pt.2 |publisher=iCub HumanoidRobot |via=YouTube |access-date=18 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609211550/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUErJodlPtQ |archive-date=9 June 2016 |url-status=live}}
• grasping small objects, such as balls, plastic bottles, etc.{{cite web | url = http://vimeo.com/51011081 | work = iCub manipulating a variety of objects | title = Toward Intelligent Humanoids | access-date = 2013-07-22 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140310224232/http://vimeo.com/51011081 | archive-date = 10 March 2014 | url-status = dead }}
• collision avoidance within non-static environments, as well as, self-collision avoidance{{cite conference |title=The Modular Behavioral Environment for Humanoids & other Robots (MoBeE) |first=Mikhail |last=Frank |author2=Jürgen Leitner |author3=Marijn Stollenga |author4=Gregor Kaufmann |author5=Simon Harding |author6=Alexander Förster |author7=Jürgen Schmidhuber |conference=9th International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics (ICINCO) |url=http://juxi.net/papers/frank2012MoBeE.pdf |access-date=8 April 2014 |archive-date=8 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408213120/http://juxi.net/papers/frank2012MoBeE.pdf |url-status=dead }}{{cite conference | title = Transferring Spatial Perception Between Robots Operating In A Shared Workspace | conference = IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2012) | first = Jürgen ‘Juxi’ | last = Leitner | author2 = Simon Harding | author3 = Mikhail Frank | author4 = Alexander Förster | author5 = Jürgen Schmidhuber | url = http://juxi.net/papers/iros2012leitner.pdf | access-date = 8 April 2014 | archive-date = 8 April 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140408220428/http://juxi.net/papers/iros2012leitner.pdf | url-status = dead }}{{cite conference | title=Task-Relevant Roadmaps: A Framework for Humanoid Motion Planning | conference = IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2013) | first=Marijn | last=Stollenga |author2=Leo Pape |author3=Mikhail Frank |author4=Jürgen Leitner |author5=Alexander Förster |author6=Jürgen Schmidhuber}}

File:Icub full body.JPG

These robots were built by Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Genoa and are used by a small but lively community of scientists that use the iCub to study embodied cognition in artificial systems. There are about thirty iCubs in various laboratories mainly in the European Union but also one in the United States. The first researcher in North America to be granted an iCub was Stephen E. Levinson, for studies of computational models of the brain and mind and language acquisition.{{cite web|title=Humanoid Robot Learns Like a Child|url=https://www.seeker.com/humanoid-robot-learns-like-a-child-discovery-news-1766506226.html|website=Discovery News|access-date=February 11, 2013}}

The robots are constructed by IIT and cost about €250,000{{Cite web|title = XE: (EUR/USD) Euro to US Dollar Rate|url = http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=250000&From=EUR&To=USD|website = www.xe.com|access-date = 2015-11-20}} each depending upon the version.{{cite web | url = http://www.icub.org/bazaar.php | work = iCub website | access-date = 2010-07-30 | title = Archived copy | archive-date = 17 February 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180217063420/http://www.icub.org/bazaar.php | url-status = dead }}

Most of the financial support comes from the European Commission's Unit E5 or the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) via the recently created iCub Facility department.{{cite web|title=The iCub humanoid robot project|url=https://www.iit.it/research/lines/icub|website=Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)|access-date=1 January 2018}}

The development and construction of iCub at IIT is part of an independent documentary film called Plug & Pray which was released in 2010.[http://www.plugandpray-film.de/en/content.html Plug & Pray], documentary film about the social impact of robots and related ethical questions

• Android
• Artificial intelligence
• Cyborg
• Ibn Sina Robot
• Robotics

{{Reflist|2}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{cite journal | title = Robotics: The bot that plays ball | journal = Nature | url =http://www.robotcub.org/index.php/robotcub/content/download/1323/4602/file/nature_icub.pdf | date = 27 August 2009 | access-date=2010-07-30 | volume=460 | issue=7259 | doi=10.1038/4601076a | last1 = Nosengo | first1 = Nicola | pages = 1076–8 | pmid = 19713909| doi-access = free }} - Nature article about the iCub.
• [https://www.youtube.com/profile?gl=US&user=robotcub YouTube Channel] - a YouTube channel about the iCub.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100701111721/http://kn.theiet.org/communities/robotics/resources/icub/icub-presentations.cfm iCub presentations] - from the Humanoid robotics symposium 2010.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140413131212/http://eris.liralab.it/wiki/The_iCub_IROS_%2710_workshop IROS'10] - Videos and workshop on iCub research (2010).
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140310224232/http://vimeo.com/51011081 Toward Intelligent Humanoids] - Video showing current abilities of the iCub (2012)
• {{Official website|1=http://www.robotcub.org/ |name=RobotCub Consortium }}
• {{Official website|1=http://www.icub.org/ |name=the iCub project }}

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