ARMAR-III: An integrated humanoid platform for sensory-motor control

Abstract — In this paper, we present a new humanoid robot currently being developed for applications in human-centered environments. In order for humanoid robots to enter humancentered environments, it is indispensable to equip them with manipulative, perceptive and communicative skills necessary for real-time interaction with the environment and humans. The goal of our work is to provide reliable and highly integrated humanoid platforms which on the one hand allow the implementation and tests of various research activities and on the other hand the realization of service tasks in a household scenario. We introduce the different subsystems of the robot. We present the kinematics, sensors, and the hardware and software architecture. We propose a hierarchically organized architecture and introduce the mapping of the functional features in this architecture into hardware and software modules. We also describe different skills related to real-time object localization and motor control, which have been realized and integrated into the entire control architecture. I

Synthesis, optical nonlinearity and crystal structure of a novel mixed-chalcogen, thiolato-bridged complex [(eta(5)-C5H5)(2)Mo-2(mu-S)(mu-Te)(mu-SPh)(2)]

A novel dimolybdenum complex in which the metal atoms are bridged by two different chalcogens and two thiolato ligands has been synthesised and structurally characterised. This complex shows a large third-order optical nonlinearity as measured by degenerate four-wave mixing with picosecond excitation at 532 nm. A hyperpolarisability (gamma) of 1.2 x 10(-30) esu has been obtained. The structure of the complex was established by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. It consists of a Mo-Mo unit, which is bridged by one S, one Te and two (SPh) groups. Each Mo atom also has a (eta(5)-C5H5) group attached to it. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A.