ICub

The iCub is a research-grade humanoid robot for developing and testing embodied AI algorithms. The iCub Project integrates results from various Instituto Italiano Research Units. The iCub Project is a key initiative for IIT, aiming to transfer robotics technologies to industrial applications.

iCub
Name	iCub
Organization	Instituto Italiano
Video	Video
Cost	Approximately €250,000
Height	104 cm (3 ft 5 in)
Weight	22 kg (48.5 lbs)

General Specifications

The number of degrees of freedom is as follows:

Component	# of degrees of freedom	Notes
Eyes	3	Independent vergence and common tilt
Head	3	The neck has three degrees of freedom to tilt, swing, and pan
Chest	3	The torso can also tilt, swing, and pan
Arms	7 (each)	The shoulder has 3 DoF, 1 in the elbow, and three in the wrist
Hands	9	The hand has 19 joints coupled in various combinations: the thumb, index, and middle finger are independent (coupled distal phalanxes), the ring and little finger are coupled. The thumb can additionally rotate over the palm.
Legs	6 (each)	6 DoF are sufficient to walk.

Sensors

Sensor type	Number	Notes
Cameras	2	Mounted in the eyes (see above), Pointgrey Dragonfly 2 (640x480)
Microphones	2	SoundMan High quality Stereo Omnidirectional microphone, -46 dB, 10V, 20....20 000 Hz +/- 3dB
Inertial sensors	3+3	Three axis gyroscopes + three axis accelerometers + three axis geomagnetic sensor based on BOSCH BNO055 chip, mounted in the head. (100Hz)
Joint sensors	For each large joint	Absolute magnetic encoder (12bit resolution @1kHz) at the joint, high-resolution incremental encoder at the motor side, hall-effect sensors for commutation (brushless motors only)
Joint sensors	For each small joint	Absolute magnetic encoder (except the fingers which use a custom hall-effect sensor), medium-resolution incremental encoder at the motor
Force/torque sensors	6	6x6-axis force/torque sensors are mounted on the upper part of the arm and legs plus 2 additional sensors mounted closer to the ankle for higher precision ZMP estimation (100Hz)
Tactile sensors	More than 3000 (*)	Capacitive tactile sensors (8 bit resolution at 40Hz) are installed in the fingertips, palms, upper and fore-arms, chest and optionally at the legs (*).

Capabilities of iCub

Task	Description
Crawling	Using visual guidance with an optic marker on the floor
Solving complex 3D mazes	Demonstrated ability to navigate and solve intricate 3D mazes
Archery	Shooting arrows with a bow and learning to hit the center of the target
Facial expressions	Capable of expressing emotions through facial expressions
Force control	Utilizing proximal force/torque sensors for precise force control
Grasping small objects	Able to grasp and manipulate small objects such as balls and plastic bottles
Collision avoidance	Avoids collisions within non-static environments and can also avoid self-collision

Links

• IIT official website on iCub
• Presentation of iCub by IIT