Meet Baloo: The Robot Pushing Boundaries at BYU
PROVO — While we may not see super soldiers like Captain America in real life, the engineers at Brigham Young University (BYU) are creating robots that could give Steve Rogers a run for his money in terms of strength and capability. But strength isn’t the only goal; they’re aiming for functionality and helpfulness too.
Graduate student Curtis Johnson recently introduced Baloo, a groundbreaking robot, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Inspired by characters like Roz from the movie The Wild Robot, Johnson and his team want to engineer a robotic companion that’s both capable and supportive.
What Can Baloo Do?
Baloo is designed to lift a variety of heavy and unwieldy items, including ladders, kayaks, car tires, and much more, thanks to his innovative flexible structure. This robot isn’t just a heavy lifter; it has the ability to "mirror" the actions of human collaborators, making it suitable for diverse applications ranging from construction sites to disaster relief efforts.
The development of Baloo took place in BYU’s Robotics and Dynamics Lab, under the guidance of mechanical engineering professor Marc Killpack. According to the university, the robot is "revolutionary" because it can interact with the world using its entire body. "Imagine if the robot could push with its shoulder! That opens up a whole new range of possibilities," explains Johnson, a doctoral student focusing on mechanical engineering.
Making Robotic Collaboration Safer
Traditional robots, built with rigid materials, often pose a risk to both themselves and their human partners—leading to potential injury or breakdown. Baloo, on the other hand, is a soft robot that incorporates air-filled components, making it a much safer option for collaborative tasks.
Killpack’s research on how humans co-manipulate heavy objects laid the groundwork for adapting that knowledge to human-robot collaboration. One of the study’s co-authors, Shaden Moss, recently completed his master’s thesis by teaching a robot to follow a person’s movements while they manipulate an object in a virtual reality (VR) environment. Moss excitedly notes, "We used math to describe the tasks in virtual reality, allowing the robot to understand when to move based on the person’s actions."
In another exciting development, fellow graduate Dallin Cordon created a control system that allows Baloo to handle rigid objects in collaboration with humans. "No one has really tackled collaborative manipulation with soft robots—this approach is novel," Cordon shared. He vividly recalls the thrill of their initial success with Baloo: "Even when it didn’t work perfectly, seeing it do what we envisioned for the first time was electrifying."
The Future of Collaborative Robotics
BYU is not just spinning wheels as they venture into robotic innovation; they’re setting a standard for safety and practicality in a field full of potential. With Baloo at the forefront, the future looks exciting for robots that are not only strong but also equipped to work side by side with humans safely and effectively.
For anyone interested in AI, robotics, and automation, Baloo represents a pivotal step toward more interactive and responsive machines.
The AI Buzz Hub team is excited to see where these breakthroughs take us. Want to stay in the loop on all things AI? Subscribe to our newsletter or share this article with your fellow enthusiasts.
