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     Volume 2 Issue 43 | November 11 , 2007|


  
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Feature

Humanoid robot

Kamrul Hasan Khan

Aprivate university graduate is developing a humanoid robot with a view to providing man with a helping hand in various complicated and risky works. And the production cost of the robot is less than the other humanoid robots being produced around the world. Firoz Ahmed Siddiqui, a graduate from the International Islamic University Chittagong, Dhaka Campus, told journalists recently that the completion of the robot IRobo would take one more year, as 90 percent of mechanical work and 40 percent of intellectual input has been completed.

After completion, the humanoid robot would comply with different verbal commands in English language in shifting objects, cleaning floors and doing other household jobs. Firoz gave details at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the first week of October. In comparison with the Japanese humanoid robot Asimo, he claimed, “The work efficiency of the IRobo is equal to Asimo, or in some cases, it shows even better efficiency.” Firoz's IRobo project chief adviser Shamsul Alam, Associate Professor of IIUC, Dhaka Campus and adviser Shafiqur Rahman of IIUC, Dhaka Campus were present at the press conference.

They gave a demonstration of the robot before the journalists, when the IRobot walked down the floor for quite a few minutes and greeted journalists saying, “Hello guests, I'm IRobo. Welcome you all here…” and so on. “The IRobo, which has total four joints in the body one each in neck and elbow and two in wrists -- is intelligent; can identify human voice and match in different situation and environment,” Firoz said. IRobo has a vision system with two cams, three fingers to grip objects and automation system by three wheels. Firoz started the project as a research and development project and gave the robot a shape of human body in 2007. The IIUC has provided Firoz with a laboratory to work in.

He said financial aid worth Tk 200,000 is needed to finish his work. . He sought government and private level help in this regard. Firoz said, “If fund is found, I am confident I can finish the work in time and it will be one of the best robots of the world.” He said an Australian software firm Tachhands wanted to provide fund for the project, but it also wants the copyright of the robot. So I refused them.”


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