Apostroph, A Robot to Study Behaviors of Living Organisms

Apostroph is a prototype of a robot designed to study the intrinsic behaviors of living organisms. As living organisms, we are able to stand on our feet by continuously fighting against gravity, and arriving at the right posture that puts the least amount of strain on the joints in our body. In Apostroph, the joint contains the motor which programmed to resist external force. These motors rotate in a direction opposite to the rotation occurred by gravity. Consequently, Apostroph tries to lift its body, in the same way as a human being stand up. The unique movements of Apostroph―constantly transforming from a bridge-like arc, slipping just past its own skeletal framework, and rolling into a wheel―is a form of exploration to reach the point of stability, much like our own journey into standing up on our feet.

Prototyping & Design Laboratory, the University of Tokyo