It may look simple to get robots to lift a bit of weight but it’s more complex than that. For starters, these robots need superior whole-body coordination to lift heavy weight. One would also have to take into account the proper actuators and joints required to handle heavy objects. This video shows how Digit deadlifted 65lb of load.
As the researchers explain:
By including whatever object we want Digit to lift in simulation as we train a new policy, we’re able to account for load distribution, grip forces, and changes to Digit’s center of mass – the result is a policy that translates to a dynamically balanced lift in the real world.
[HT]