Hong Kong students create the world’s smallest humanoid robot and break a record (video)
The world’s smallest humanoid robot was created by a group of four teenagers in Hong Kong. Its height is only 14.1 centimeters, which is 11.3 millimeters less than the previous record holder, created by Zain Ahmad Qureshi from Pakistan in 2022.
The record was officially registered by the Guinness Book of Records. To meet the requirements for the record, the robot was taught to walk on two legs and rotate its shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees.
After the boys designed this small device using software from the school’s robotics lab, they made the body panels out of acrylic and the components printed on a 3D printer. Then a contract was signed with a factory to produce several servo motors that allow the robot to move its arms and legs.
In their comments to the Guinness Book of World Records, the team members said that the mechanism can walk, play football, dance, and even do kung fu. In addition to the glory of being listed in the Book of Records, the young people say their motivation for creating the robot was to create an inexpensive educational tool for use in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) education.
By designing the device to be as small as possible, they say it can reduce the cost of mass production, making the robot more affordable and accessible to disadvantaged families. “We also plan to open source the design and program code to further our goal of promoting STEAM education,” said team member Isaac.
The robot is powered by a built-in 7.4 volt lithium-ion battery and can be controlled remotely using the app or by buttons on the panel on the humanoid’s back.
