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Robots Play Catch, Starring Agile Justin And Rollin' Justin (VIDEO)

  First Posted: 01/28/2012 2:06 pm Updated: 01/28/2012 2:30 pm

Amazing
 Inspiring
 Funny
 Scary
 Hot
 Crazy
 Important
 Weird

The gangly Agile Justin, ready to toss a ball to its robotic twin Rollin' Justin.

Where was Agile Justin last year when we needed him to throw out the first pitch at a Philadelphia Phillies game? The PhillieBot was booed by Phillies fans after bouncing the ball to home plate. It would have been a different story had DLR's latest robot been there.

Last summer DLR showed us Rollin' Justin's amazing ability to catch. Now they've created a robot that can toss the ball to Rollin'. Just as Rollin' Justin was a great test platform for robotics technologies behind high-speed perception, catching strategy, dexterity and body control, Justin's Agile twin presents DLR programmers with the challenge of effective ball tossing - something that PhillieBot failed miserably at.

As Hizook reports, DLR started with Rolling Justin and added "1.5 faster arms through different gear ratios; completely new wheel electronics and bus architecture, which allows a 500Hz control loop over all four wheels and steering [degrees of freedom] on the mobile platform; 1kHz control loop for the arms, torso and hand [degrees of freedom]."

Watch the ball toss in the video below. Obviously Agile Justin throws like a robot, kind of sidearm/underhand, not much like a major league pitcher. The coordination between arm, torso, and wheels gives new meaning to the term "pitching mechanics."

[image credits: hizook via YouTube and DLR]
[video credits: hizook via YouTube]
image 1: throw
image 2: Agile Justin
video: Agile Justin

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The gangly Agile Justin, ready to toss a ball to its robotic twin Rollin' Justin. Where was Agile Justin last year when we needed him to throw out the first pitch at a Philadelphia Phillies game? The...
The gangly Agile Justin, ready to toss a ball to its robotic twin Rollin' Justin. Where was Agile Justin last year when we needed him to throw out the first pitch at a Philadelphia Phillies game? The...
 
 
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Kamereon
68 Fans
10:03 PM on 01/30/2012
Have we drug tested these robots yet, I think they're juicing.
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planetjeffy
On the other hand, you have different fingers.
1886 Fans
09:58 PM on 01/30/2012
that's cool
then again, we could have replaced GBush with a blender
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Ossit
Ossit
686 Fans
03:46 PM on 01/30/2012
ASIMO is the best robot I've ever seen.
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Ossit
Ossit
686 Fans
03:44 PM on 01/30/2012
Today a robot that can catch balls tomorrow a Bicentennial Man house robot. I'd love one of those.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
vorykua
"you can't be neutral" - Howard Zinn
173 Fans
03:43 PM on 01/30/2012
Real Steel : Baseball Edition

2032 the first cyber- world series?
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Ossit
Ossit
686 Fans
03:40 PM on 01/30/2012
Love Robotics. I watched one of the other videos where a robot walked, did a balancing exercise. I remember a science show showing robotics in the 70's just trying to get robots to walk and run. It was only the legs attached to cables running and walking in a circle. Poor thing kept falling over until programming improved. Now they can walk up stairs and ladders, hold things, walk and jog without tethers, throwing balls, understanding voice commands.I sure hope I'm alive by the time they figure out how to make realisitc robotic pets. I'd get me a robotic dog. Until then I'll enjoy my real one.
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ramblingjohnny
164 Fans
 
01:17 PM on 01/30/2012
"Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a man's mind!"
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Mitchman57
I might be indecisive. But... maybe not.
698 Fans
08:55 AM on 01/30/2012
Looks a little like Aaaaaa-nold.

Just a little.
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baap30
0 Fans
10:20 PM on 01/29/2012
SkyNet the early years, You still have time Sarah Conner, Just Dont throw anything at them
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
jer9848
Bleeding heart lib.
145 Fans
 
09:49 PM on 01/29/2012
But they have failed to learn to grab there crotch and spit.Like baseball players do. :P
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sev87
6 Fans
08:25 PM on 01/29/2012
Imagine all the calculations that must be made on the fly to make it grasp its hand at the right place and time. That's quite an accomplishment. It also highlights how impressive some of the things we humans can do without thinking about it.
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Charismatron
105 Fans
04:59 PM on 01/29/2012
Pretty nifty!
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ilovecandy
597 Fans
04:23 PM on 01/29/2012
The robot apocalypse is coming...mwuhahahah
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clearasmud
Obama Is Nothing More Than A Moderate Republican
2365 Fans
10:59 AM on 01/29/2012
There is hope. We can soon replace republicans, since they are robots also, but they won't be able to vote. We trade robots for robots and come out ahead.
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Lahonda
Bynocent Instander
2652 Fans
09:51 PM on 01/28/2012
...okay now, three times in a row, just like a baby.

Loved it though. Nice software.
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