A humanoid robot by German Aerospace Center with two arms, cameras, and sensors suitable as a platform for service robotics research.

German Aerospace Center - Rollin' Justin

Extending the available platforms in service robotics research is the humanoid robot Rollin’ Justin. The robot’s application ranges from household functions to astronaut assistance in space.Rollin’ Justin is an ideal platform for research, especially in two-handed manipulation, given its compliant lightweight arms and hands with four fingers. The mobile base prompts autonomous operation even on a large range. The stereo cameras and motion detector sensors work together, enabling 3D reconstruction of the robot environment. The robot can act independently in unstructured, dynamic, and variable environments without human support but can also work alongside humans safely. Rollin’ Justin features various degrees of freedom actuated for pursuing multiple goals while following a task hierarchy.<h3>Design</h3>Rollin’ Justin, weighing approximately 200kg, stands 1.91m and can carry a nominal payload of 20kg. A battery supplies power for over an hour of operation at a speed of 2m/s or 7.2km/h. The robot has 51 overall DOF, 8 at the platform, 7 on each arm, 12 on each hand, 2 at the neck, and 3 on the torso. Torque sensors rest in almost every joint, and the robot has two balance sensors (IMU), 5 RGB-D cameras, and two stereo cameras.Mechatronic DesignThe system design utilizes preliminary works, such as the DLR Lightweight Robot III (LBR III) and the DLR Hand II. The upper body uses LBR technology, while the arms and hands expand the work range via the mobile platform. The robot, with an overall human-like structure,&nbsp; can work up to a space of 2.7m from the ground.Compliant Full Body ManipulationImposing a task hierarchy prompts Rollin’ Justin to follow a large number of simultaneous tasks and mobile manipulations. The term null scale projection summarizes the opportunity of strictly implementing the said hierarchy.Autonomous Task Scheduling And ExecutionIt is a key ability for humanoid service robots to solve any manipulation task. Although, specific objects require specific handling methods, which makes Rollin’ Justin adopt a modular system architecture—allowing it to look at manipulation tasks depending on the material involved.

Dimension	1.91m
Weight	~200kg
Degrees of Freedom	51 (Platform: 8, Arms: 2×7, Hands: 2×12, Neck: 2, Torso: 3)
Nominal payload	20kg
Power supply	Battery with >60min operating time
Speed	2 m/s \| 7.2 km/h