Automakers are always constantly brainstorming for new ideas, these also include robots. Like Honda’s ASIMO robot, Toyota’s new humanoid prototype hopes to portrait us and the functions and capabilities which we take for granted in our everyday lives. Toyota’s new humanoid stands 130cm tall and weighs 50Kg, its legs have seven degrees of freedom allowing it to run at an average speed of 7 km/h. In contrast, their rival – ASIMO’s maximum speed is only 6km/h. In order to achieve this, Toyota researchers had to develop new real-time methods for balance control. These methods make it possible for the robot to remain balanced when an external force (for example, when a 100m race gets dirty!) is applied while it is in motion.

[via BotJunkie]