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Humanoid robot TALOS at TU Darmstadt for research into human-like learning
2025/02/28
The Technical University of Darmstadt is expanding its portfolio of large-scale interdisciplinary research equipment with a special addition: the state-of-the-art humanoid robot ‘TALOS’. There are currently only five other research centres in the world with such a robot, and Darmstadt's TALOS is the only one in Germany. Its arrival today also marked the launch of the new Laboratory for Humanoid Robotics.
As part of Professor , the Laboratory for Humanoid Robotics will provide a platform for researching the interactions between motor skills, cognitive perception and human-robot interaction. For these research projects, TU Darmstadt has now acquired TALOS, a 1.75 metre tall and 95 kilogramme humanoid – i.e. human-like – robot from Pal Robotics. It can lift six kilograms per outstretched arm, climb stairs, walk on uneven terrain, manipulate objects with its gripping hands and work together with human and mechanical colleagues. Another important feature for research with TALOS is torque control, which allows it to control its forces. Professor Jan Peters' Intelligent Autonomous Systems Group
Particularly versatile humanoid robot
The team headed by laboratory manager wants to use the robot for basic research into learning problems at various levels. The robot offers unique prerequisites for this because it can perform particularly versatile tasks: Unlike other humanoids, it can walk while handling heavy objects and tools, is equipped with a large number of sensors, as well as impressive computing power, which is further enhanced by an integrated AI accelerator. This enables it to plan and execute even complex sequences. The motors and sensors built into the joints and the torque control also allow it to carry out movements precisely and smoothly. Arenz and his team are particularly interested in the interaction between hardware-based motor control and abstract thinking using artificial intelligence. Dr Oleg Arenz
At the inauguration of the Humanoid Robotics Laboratory, TALOS demonstrated some of its capabilities and gave an insight into future research topics in the fields of artificial intelligence, cognitive science and robotics.
New Laboratory for Humanoid Robotics
The groups of Computer Science department led by Professor Oskar von Stryk, Simulation, Systems Optimization and Robotics led by Professor Georgia Chalvatzaki and the Interactive Robot Perception & Learning led by Professor Kristian Kersting are also involved in the lab. Also involved are the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Lab of Professor Rolf Findeisen at the Control and Cyber-Physical Systems Laboratory, the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of Professor André Seyfarth and the Sports Biomechanics group of Professor Constantin A. Rothkopf at the Psychology of Information Processing Lab. Department of Human Sciences
The acquisition costs of around 1.8 million euros for TALOS, its future expansion components for greater agility and dynamics, and the laboratory equipment are being funded in equal parts by TU Darmstadt and the German Research Foundation (DFG).
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