Humanoid Robots – Past, Present and the Future

Abstract

This paper offers an all-encompassing chronology of humanoid robots, examining their development through three significant stages: the past, the present, and the possible future. The paper underscores the driving factors behind the creation of the first humanoid robots, their current advancements, and the innovations yet to emerge. It stresses the importance of embedding human-like traits into robots, while outlining their specific uses. The journal is organized into three sections. The first section highlights recent progress in humanoid robotics, delving into the challenges of mimicking human movements, with a focus on the biomechanics of the hand, as well as replicating activities like walking and swimming. Additionally, it explores the sensory techniques utilized by humanoid robots and highlights significant progress in their application for treating conditions such as cerebral palsy and autism. The following section focuses on humanoid robot history, beginning with the initial concepts that were developed to create them, and also includes some of the first functional examples of humanoid robots. Bipedal movement and environmental perception are also addressed in it. The third aspect of the report looks at the future of humanoid robotics, addressing the challenges in current motion technologies and exploring potential avenues for advancement. It also examines improvements in two-legged walking and the ability to perceive surroundings. As it ends, the journal provides a comprehensive overview of progress in humanoid robotics and underscores its relevance to both present and future applications.