Kengoro: Freaky Humanoid Robot from Japan Sweats to Cool Itself

Scientists have solved the heating problem on humanoid robots by using the concept of sweat. Meet Kengoro, a humanoid robot that sweats to cool itself and do push-ups to power up.

Researchers from the University of Tokyo's JSK Lab presented the revolutionary sweating method att the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots in South Korea. Using the concept behind human sweat that cools heated muscle, Kengoro's cooling system involves making it sweat water from its laser-sintered aluminum frame. Also, the metal from the robot's vary -- some less dense while others denser -- to allow the water to seep through and cool the robot when it evaporates, Quartz reports.

Standing at 5.6 feet and weighing 56 kilograms, the humanoid robot could do push-ups continuously for 11 minutes, IEEE Spectrum reports. Kengoro also has 108 motors, structural components and circuit boards which made the new cooling system a novel idea to save space.

Kongor can function for half a cup of deodized water, but just like humans, need to hydrate too. The researchers leb by Professor Masayuki Inaba that this new methos is three times more effective than air cooling or water circulating in the robot's interiors.

“Usually the frame of a robot is only used to support forces. Our concept was adding more functions to the frame, using it to transfer water, release heat, and at the same time support forces," Toyota Kozuki, lead author od the study, told IEEE Spectrum.

Kengoro is the sixth bio-inspired robot created by scientists at the JSK Lab, but is the first one focused to test strength and durability. Previous robots from the lab are usually assistive humanoids and are aimed to mimic body parts and functions of the human body including its excretory system.