Those crazy guys at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology are at again! Not content with developing the world's most therapeutic robot, this time they've come up with a couple of very realistic dinosaur robots to be displayed at the 2005 World Expo.

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) conducted a press conference on March 4 to announce their joint development of a dinosaur robot. The robot will be demonstrated on all 185 days of the 2005 World Exposition to be held in Aichi Prefecture from March 25.

Two dinousaur robots were developed. Modelled on Tyrannosaurus Rex and Parasaurolophus, the robots are approximately 3.5 metres long and weigh approximately 80 kilograms. Applying the technology refined during the development of the HRP-2 humanoid robot, they can walk at approximately 1km/hr. The robots cost about 180 million yen to manufacture and were developed over a period of approximately 10 months.

The outer skin of the robots was manufactured by Kokoro, who are well-known for their animatronic dinasour puppets. The internals of the robots are the same as those of the HRP-2 humanoid robot and were manufactured by Kawada Industries. The structure is composed of a lightweight yet rigid internal framework of carbon fibre and Extra Super Duralumin is covered by 10 cm of Urethane foam.

The Tyrannosaurus has 27 degrees-of-freedom and the Parasaurolophus has 26. Although it was not possible to replicate the dinosaur's method of standing on their toes, all of the remaining joints have been duplicated as closely as possible.

At the press conference, apart from walking, the Parasaurolophus' feeding action and the Tyrannosaurus' roaring action were also demonstrated.



Video footage:
http://www.aist.go.jp/no_header/kyouryu.html

Inspired by:
http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2005/0304/nedo.htm

News Release:
http://www.aist.go.jp/aist_j/press_release/pr2005/pr20050304/pr20050304.html