This Humanoid Robot Can Drive Cars — Sort Of: Exploring Its Capabilities and Limitations

Could a humanoid robot be the secret to achieving safer autonomous vehicles that avoid pedestrians and steer clear of obstacles like telephone poles? Researchers from the University of Tokyo believe so and present their findings in a newly released technical paper.

This innovative team, which includes a consultant for Toyota, has developed and trained a "musculoskeletal humanoid" named Musashi to operate a small electric car on a test track.

Musashi is equipped with dual cameras that mimic human vision, allowing it to perceive the road ahead and view reflections in both side mirrors. With its dexterous mechanical hands, it can manipulate various car controls, such as turning the ignition key, pulling the handbrake, and activating the turn signal. Additionally, thanks to its specially designed anti-slip "feet," Musashi can press the accelerator and brake pedals with precision.

"Our paper, which explores the capabilities of musculoskeletal humanoids in autonomous driving, is now available on arXiv and YouTube!" announced researcher Kento Kawaharazuka. “Toward Autonomous Driving by Musculoskeletal Humanoids: A Study of Developed Hardware and Learning-Based Software” can be viewed and .

While Musashi has shown promising abilities—such as turning a corner at an intersection while observing traffic signals—the researchers acknowledge some limitations. For instance, Musashi cautiously lifted its "foot" off the brake to navigate the turn instead of accelerating, resulting in a slow two-minute maneuver.

In a different trial, the robot did accelerate, though it struggled to maintain a steady speed, particularly on varying inclines.

Clearly, there’s still much to improve. The researchers are enthusiastic about the challenge ahead and have plans to enhance Musashi’s design and software capabilities. With continued development, it’s possible that one day Musashi could be driving your next Tokyo taxi.