Toyota's T-HR3 Humanoid Robot Controlled Remotely Over DOCOMO 5G Connection

Toyota and NTT DOCOMO have announced that they have teamed up for a test of the T-HR3 humanoid robot. In this test, the T-HR3 robot was controlled using a 5G connection from a remote location. The remote controller and the robot were 10km apart.

The only connectivity between the controller and the robot was a wireless 5G connection. Toyota developed the T-HR3 robot with the goal of creating a partner robot that can support human activities under a variety of circumstances. The circumstances that Toyota was thinking of when developing the robot include assistance in healthcare and inside homes. The robot uses Torque Servo Modules to control torque and a Master Maneuvering System that allows the entire robot body to be operated as well.

The operator of the robot can feel the external forces exerted on the T-HR3. Until this wireless test was conducted over 5G, all control of the robot had been conducted over a wired connection. The 5G network used was running on technology developed by DOCOMO.

The robot has whole-body coordination and balance control to allow it to maintain balance if it collides with other objects in the environment. The robot is very flexible, and the operator sits in a chair of sorts with arms and legs inside a system that allow the robot to move as the user does and for the user to feel external forces exerted on the robot.

The T-HR3 robot is 1540mm tall and weighs 75kg. The bot has 32 axes or movement and ten fingers. The intention is for the robot to be able to use and manipulate objects made for humans to interact with.