Google's Schaft Unveils Unique Bipedal Robot at NEST 2016
Posted on April 12, 2016
Google's Schaft company unveiled a unique looking bipedal robot at the NEST 2016 in Tokyo. Schaft is owned by the Google parent company Alphabet. The robot bears some similarity to the TARS robot from Interstellar.
Schaft is a Japanese robotic startup that was acquired by Google in late 2013. IEEE Spectrum reports that Schaft became somewhat secretive about its developments post acquisition.
The armless Schaft robot walks around on its two legs. The dexterous robot is capable of climbing steps and and waking over uneven terrain. It can also carry heavy loads. A video released by Schaft at NEST shows the robot walking up and down stairs. It can also be seen walking alone through the woods and at the beach. The beach walking scene generated laughter from the audience. Another scene shows two of the robots walking through the snow. Take a look: