Team unveils humanoid robot that morphs into vehicle

April 26, 2018

Tokyo- Asratec Corp. said Thursday that it has jointly developed with two other Japanese companies a prototype humanoid robot that transforms itself into a vehicle.

The robot, which walks on two legs in humanoid mode, can also be used as a wheeled two-seater that is about 4 meters long, said Asratec, a Tokyo-based company affiliated with Softbank Group Corp. .

The developers expect the robot to be used in go-cart facilities of amusement parks and in event venues.

The robot, called J-deite RIDE, has a total of 49 joints to bend or fold parts such as the head, arms and legs. It can transform itself between a humanoid robot and a vehicle in about one minute.

J-deite RIDE walks at a speed of up to 100 meters per hour. In vehicle mode, it travels a theoretical 60 kilometers per hour.



The device can be operated by a user in the cockpit to transform, walk or run. Unmanned, remotely controlled operations are also available.

Equipped with a lithium-based battery, the robot moves its wheels and joints using an electric motor.

Kunio Okawara, a mechanical designer for "Mobile Suit Gundam," a popular Japanese robot anime series, designed J-deite RIDE.

Asratec spent some three years to develop the robot, working with Tokyo-based robot development startup Brave Robotics Inc. and amusement ride maker Sansei Technologies Inc., based in the western city of Osaka. Jiji Press