Jan 7, 2015 | By Alec
We sometimes come across simple 3D printed robots that can be recreated on your own desktop printer, which come with one or two basic functions and some nice lighting effects. But MANAV, India’s first 3D printed humanoid robot, is in an entirely different league.
This two-feet tall robot has just been unveiled at the Tech Fest 2015 convention at the ITT in Mumbai, and can mimic a number of human movements. It can, for instance, perform a number of athletic feats such as headstands, push-ups or kick a football. It can reportedly even ‘dance better than humans’. Its humanoid nature also comes back in its camera eyes and headphone ears, which allow it to receive and follow basic instructions.
This interesting little robot has been developed by Diwakar Vaish, Head Robotics and Research at the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai. Its movements are enabled through the inclusion of 21 little servos, all of them packed in its 3D printed housing. In total, MANAV weighs approximately 2 kilograms.
Diwakar Vaish told media that though the little robot was designed for educational purposes, his team will also pursue a commercial venture. They expect that the robot can be purchased for somewhere between Rs 1.5 and 2.5 lakh in the near future (so somewhere in the region between $2500 and $4000), which he claimed was much cheaper than other commercial robots. For that price customers would be able to ask for a large variety of customizations, though more will be revealed about that at a later stage.
It took Vaish two months to fully design, 3D print and assemble MANAV, which he did at the A- SET Training & Research Institutes. As he told Indian media, he hopes it will allow Indian scientists to further explore robotic potential; ‘[MANAV] is ideal for researchers to explore the boundaries in robotics.’ He reportedly also aims to use MANAV as a prototype to create a whole team of 3D printed autonomously-playing soccer robots in the near future.
This interesting 3D printed robot was unveiled at the last day of the technology convention, and was considered to be one of the highlights of Tech Fest.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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