70-kilogram humanoid flies on turbines
Italian engineers accomplished the incredible. The metallic flying humanoid iRonCub3 with human proportions weighing 70 kg flies! 4 powerful turbines lifted the humanoid to a height of 50 cm, demonstrating technology that previously existed only in science fiction.
The most difficult challenge was balance. A real puzzle for developers. Unlike symmetrical drones, the human-like robot constantly shifts its center of gravity due to limb movement. The solution came from the field of artificial intelligence and neural networks were trained on data arrays from the wind tunnel of Milan Polytechnic Institute. Now the system instantly compensates for turbulence and corrects position in the air!
2 turbines are installed on the arms and 2 on the back, and their total thrust exceeds 1000 newtons. Exhaust gases heat up to 800 degrees Celsius, which required creating a titanium spine to protect internal systems.
The next stage will be tests in a special flight zone at Genoa airport. The technology’s prospects are enormous — from rescuing people from rubble to exploring radioactive territories.
