Androids and Robots

Petra

“Petra,” named after the Greek for “rock,” is a robot that will be a tool that coexists with future humanity. In prehistory, humans evolved greatly by creating hunting tools from wood and stone. Going back to those roots, Petra is made from stone and driftwood, as well as round mirrors from Shinto shrines and moss from Zen temples, embodying a design that links past and future.

Details

Role within the Pavilion
One Petra unit is installed in each area of ZONE 2: The Future of 2075—the train, living room, public space, theater room, and epilogue—where it guides visitors.
Dimensions
W663 × D663 × H1045–1365 mm (excluding protrusions)
Weight
38.3 kg
Specifications
  • Developed based on the mobile Cybernetic Avatar (CA) Teleco, developed as part of the Moonshot Research and Development Program* Goal 1 project: Realization of an Avatar-Symbiotic Society where Everyone Can Perform Active Roles without Constraint.
  • Sensors: LiDAR sensors, microphone array, and camera
  • Actuators: Head pitch axis, vertical lift, drive wheels × 2
  • The head is capable of expressive motion, and the entire body can extend and contract.
  • Continuous operation: Over 20 hours
  • Head: An interface featuring a mirror positioned at its center, inspired by the round shinkyo (sacred mirror) found in shrines.

 

* The Moonshot Research and Development Program

This government-led program sets forth ambitious “moonshot” goals aimed at solving major societal challenges, such as super-aging populations and climate change, and supports bold R&D efforts. Goal 1 of the program is overseen by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). ISHIGURO Hiroshi serves as one of the project managers for Goal 1 and leads the project titled “Realization of an Avatar-Symbiotic Society where Everyone Can Perform Active Roles without Constraint.” This project promotes R&D to expand human physical, cognitive, and sensory capabilities through a Cybernetic Avatar (CA) platform, leveraging diverse forms of avatars including robots and CG, to realize daily life supported by CAs.

Functional Features
(1) Autonomous navigation and tele-operation & dialogue

Both autonomous navigation and speech and motion through tele-operation are supported.

(2) Obstacle avoidance