The science-fiction realm of automated humanoids has become very much a reality thanks to extensive research and development in the humanoid robotics industry or HRI.

A humanoid robot is basically a robot shaped like a human. The two types of bots modeled after humanoids are androids, which represent males, and gynoids which are modeled after females; although android has been used to describe both sexes.

The specifics of humanoid robotics involve a great deal of variation. What sets a humanoid bots apart from R2D2 is its ability to adapt to environmental changes and to essentially learn. Humanoid robots usually contain one or more of the following capabilities: safe interaction with human beings, the ability to self maintain, the ability to store situational information (learn), and avoiding harmful situations to itself or people around it.

Even in its infancy, the development of humanoid robots has helped scientists learn about the cognitive process of humans as well as the structure of the human body. It is also hoped that one day robots will take the place of people in performing mundane everyday tasks as well as care for others, although the programming involved in the artificial intelligence is complicated.

The humanoid robots consist of key components called sensors and actuators. Sensors within the robot measure different attributes of the physical world and adjust its behavior accordingly. Proprioceptive sensors give the robot a sense of balance as well as controlling the speed in which their joints and body move. Exeroceptive sensors transmit data about the immediate environment and allow the robot to interact with people or objects around. Different exeroceptive sensors are implemented based on the humanoid robot’s functionality. Sensors can be installed to replicate speech, hearing, and physical contact with objects.

Actuators are the motors that allow the robot to move like a humanoid. Without using too much scientific lingo that I can’t quite understand, from what I understand is that the different types of actuators act as muscles and joints. Specific types of actuators produce a different preciseness of movement which differentiates between such things as walking in a forward motion and lying on floor.

An example of a working humanoid robot is Choromet which is programmed which runs on Linux and has the hardware specifications of an obsolete computer (a 240MHz CPU, 32 MB RAM, and 32 MB of Flash ROM), but contains the ability to perform basic human functions. Choromet can wave, stand on one leg, walk, and even lie flat on its face or back and stand up again. This humanoid robot is a smaller version of the life-size bots that Humanoid Robotics International has been prototyping and is capable of programming by means of feedback loops, or learning.

With further research in the field of humanoid robots, things that were initially only envisioned in science fiction movies and novels may be possible. By replicating the physical and cognitive structure of actual humanoids, scientists can learn how the beings obtain their attributes. Breakthroughs biomechanics have already produced artificial body parts which offer better replacements for humans who suffer injuries to their bodies.