Kawasaki unveiled Bex, a four-legged robot that can walk and even carry a person on its back, at this year’s International Robot Expo (iREX) 2022 in Tokyo. The robot looks like an ibex, a species of parropod from the genus ibex, from which it gets its name.
Bex was created as part of the Kaleido project, which Kawasaki calls “a reliable humanoid platform. Most such work in this project has used robots that are halfway between humanoid and wheeled robots.
The robot can walk, in many ways similar to Boston Dynamics’ robot dogs, though much slower. But it also kneels, locks joints, and runs a motor that propels the robot like a car. Bex can also reportedly carry loads of up to 100 kilograms. At the show, Bex was introduced by a company engineer and rode in circles. The Kawasaki team also made the robot brighter than many of its competitors — it has flashing lights that run up and down its neck and horns.
Kawasaki representatives noted at the show that the robot’s head could be replaced with other suitable options, such as a horse’s head or left without one at all. They also noted that the Bex was designed in a wheeled configuration for fast travel, while the walking configuration is designed to travel over rough terrain. The team prioritized stability. When the robot rolls, all of its wheels are always on the ground, and when it walks, its gait is kept on at least two legs. This reduced the computational requirements and made the robot safer to interact with humans.
It’s not yet clear whether the robot was just a demonstration of its capabilities or whether Kawasaki plans to sell it.