Video: Japan's Robot Tiles Create Infinite Walkway

A robotic researcher creates predicting robots that position themselves underfoot for your next step

By Jeremy Hsu Posted 09.21.2009 at 6:00 pm 9 Comments

Step by Step You can't go anywhere these days without stepping on a robot Hiroo Iwata

Japan certainly hasn't let the recession damp its enthusiasm for all things robot, even if much of the robotic workforce still suffers from unemployment idleness.

The robot tiles emerged as the brainchild of Hiroo Iwata, a virtual reality researcher at the University of Tsukuba in Japan. A touch-sensitive conductive fabric covers each robot and gauges the pressure applied by a walking person's foot, which goes toward predicting the next step.

Ultrasonic sensors also help relay position and orientation of each tile back to a central computer that acts as the conductor. It's an oddly serene robotic ballet, even when two tiles have queued up to move down the line.

There's not much obvious practical use, although Iwata has suggested that the tiles could work well for a virtual reality simulator and provide the sense of going nowhere fast. Now, if those robotic tiles could fly ...

[via Technabob]

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9 Comments

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Timemachine

09/21/09 at 6:59 pm

I can see it now these tiles placed under water in a shallow pond as the person walks across the pond it appears like he is walking on water. Maybe Jesus held the patent on this over 2000 years ago but didn't live long enough to tell anyone about it.

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poopshoop

09/21/09 at 9:00 pm

i dont know if thats stupid or cool. obviously this is a prototype. The speed with which the tilebots move will probably increase, but it seems like they can only 'predict' forward steps. How about steps backwards and steps to the sides? Or jumps even?! Now that would be cool. Disregard everything here if the Japanese guy covered this all in the video. I don't understand Japanese unfortunately.

Of course the Japanese WOULD make something creative like this and have so few applications, probably because the tilebots are cute or something

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PhilInYork

09/21/09 at 10:16 pm

I tried really hard to dig it. I swear. But it is just way too pointless.

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GTO

09/22/09 at 9:09 am

The Japanese wonder why they have such high unemployment and insane inflation. They build worthless things with no practical application all the while spending copious amounts of money to do so and have nothing but asinine toys to show for it.

It's a segmented TREADMILL that you cant even run on!

--GTO--

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meyaht

09/23/09 at 9:32 am

up next in japan, platforms that you strap to your feet! prevent excess wear and tear to the skin on the bottom of your foot! NOVEL IDEAS AHEAD!

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tymo7777

09/30/09 at 5:16 pm

ummm.... treadmill anyone??? not to be the guy that says the obvious

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evalentin32

10/01/09 at 1:49 pm

This is perfect for a guy like me who likes to take one step, stop, and think about my next step before I take it. Right foot...ummm.. left foot

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mematron

10/05/09 at 8:54 pm

You all lack vision. That's why you don't invent. This has a ton of applications. The most obvious is bridge laying for infantry - land, sea, and air. On the other side since not all technology has to be used to blow people up is in car parks. A parking lot can be made of these things to better store vehicles based on the number actively in the car park. Additionally, the same bots could bring the cars to the owner when requested. I know it hurts to think but try it ya lazy bums!

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ocalansacide

10/29/10 at 7:38 am

To root out militants and ensure lasting peace in Kandahar, both Afghan and NATO-led troops launched joint operation couple of months ago in Arghandab, Jalai, Panjwai and adjoining areas and the operation has been going on during which scores of Taliban fighters, according to Azimi have been killed and injured or detained

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