There's a buzz in the air in the laboratories ofItalian Institute of Technology. It's not the usual buzz of computers and machinery. It's the sound of the future taking flight. iRonCub3, the world's first humanoid flying robot, is about to take a leap that could revolutionize disaster relief. Or maybe not.
When childhood dreams come true... almost
Remember when you were a child and dreamed of having a flying robot? Well, a group of Italian scientists decided to make that dream come true. Not for you, obviously. For everyone. Perhaps, in the not too distant future, they will save lives. As long as they can keep the robot from catching fire.
Yes, because iRonCub3 is not the typical robot you would expect to see in a science fiction film. It's more like Tony Stark had decided to build a humanoid robot instead of his famous armor. Four jet engines, two on his arms and two in a backpack jet on his back. Yes, you read that right. A jet backpack (I would call it a jet pack, but the language purists want their share). Because evidently, in the future, robots will also need fashionable accessories.
“Fireproof” flying robot: technical challenge or exercise in masochism?
Sacrosanct premise. I adore and respect with devotion all the beautiful work that the IIT is doing, in many fields. Futuro Prossimo often talks about the research of this institute with joy and pride. Don't blame me if we still try to maintain a disenchanted look, despite the esteem.
Integrating jet propulsion into a humanoid robot turned out to be… quite complicated. How much? A lot. Like trying to teach a cat to swim, but with more explosions. This is the "tactical theme" of the project conceived by Dr Daniele Pucci, and supervised by Dr Gabriele Nava.
Exhaust gas temperatures can reach 800 degrees Celsius. For this reason, the researchers had to completely redesign the structure of the robot, creating a new titanium spine and adding heat-resistant covers. Basically, they built a robot that can survive hell. Literally.
More sensors than you have (and thanks)
iRonCub3 features sensitive skin all over its body, force/torque sensors, cameras, microphones, gyroscopes, accelerometers and encoders in every joint. Simply put, he is more sensitive than you are after three cups of espresso.
With 53 degrees of freedom, including nine in each hand, the iRonCub3 could probably beat most of us at Twister. If only he didn't risk burning us alive in the process.
The "humanitarian" potential of the flying robot
Giorgio Metta, scientific director of the IIT, is enthusiastic: “iRonCub3 could radically transform disaster relief operations. Imagine a robot that can fly over dangerous rubble, land precisely and use its hands to rescue victims.”
Or, in a less optimistic scenario, imagine a robot flying over dangerous rubble, landing imprecisely, and using its hands to create even more rubble. But hey, that's why we test, right? Of the creators of a robot seed you can be confident.
Future (and past, and present) challenges and prospects
The path to a fully functional flying robot is still long. And tortuous. And full of obstacles. And probably on fire. I'm optimistic today, huh?
The aerodynamics of a multi-body system like the iRonCub3 are incredibly complex. The goal now is to develop neural networks with physics-informed components for real-time evaluation of the robot's behavior in flight.
Simply put, allow me poetic license, they are trying to teach a computer to “think” like the wind. An epic undertaking.
A future that takes flight (maybe)
As the hum of iRonCub3's jet engines fills the IIT labs, I can't help but feel the pulse of the future approaching as well. A future in which the boundaries between earth and sky, between human and machine, become increasingly blurred.
A future where our rescuers will need a permit to fly. And maybe very, very good fire insurance.
