Humanoid robots may not be ready to take your job. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be useful. Researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology built a robot they called WALK-MAN that they say is uniquely capable of assisting in emergency situations. Humans control the machines using a virtual reality headset and a tracking suit that’s designed so the robot mirrors their movements. That way, the robot can go places too dangerous for humans, while the humans operate the machine from a safe distance. There’s still significant work to be done: the robot is fairly slow, so it’s not well-suited for time-sensitive work like saving people from an unstable building. But watch the video above to see some of the work the robot can do, and get a sense of where the research is headed.
Researchers at the Italian Institute of technology in Genoa have developed WALK - MAN , a remotely operated humanoid robot that can enter places deemed too dangerous for people . The lightweight machine is controlled by a virtual reality ( virtual ) headset and a rubber - covered tracking suit worn by its operator . Mimicking the movements of its controller the robot can grasp objects and manipulate devices such as fire ##balls . The team said its immediate goal is to speed up WALK - MAN 's movements , which are still too slow for an emergency environment .