Surena 4

Close-up of a grey humanoid's head with a shiny wheel of light and a row of cameras and sensors. — Surena 4 contemplates life, the universe, and everything. Photo: Center for Advanced Vehicles/University of Tehran

Surena 4 is a humanoid robot platform designed to study bipedal locomotion, manipulation, and AI. The latest generation in a series of humanoid models, this version can walk on uneven terrain and grasp objects with force control, including a pen used to write its name. It's also used to provide entertainment at special events and to attract students to careers in engineering.

Creator

University of Tehran

Year

2019

Country

Iran 🇮🇷

Categories

Features

Surena 4 unveiled. Video: University of Tehran/CAST

Did you know?

Surena 4 is the latest generation of the Surena series of humanoid robots developed in Iran.

A silver bipedal humanoid holds a large, clear, ball between its hands and looks at it with its face. — Keeping my eyes on the ball. Photo: Center for Advanced Vehicles/University of Tehran

An adult-size humanoid robot waves its left hand. — Surena 3 says hi. Photo: Center for Advanced Vehicles/University of Tehran

History

In 2008, researchers at the University of Tehran introduced a rudimentary humanoid robot called Surena, with only 8 degrees of freedom (DoF). An improved model capable of walking, Surena 2, with 22 DoF, was announced not long after, followed by the more capable Surena 3, with 31 DoF, in 2015. In late 2019, the Iranian roboticists unveiled Surena 4. With 43 DoF, the new robot is a major improvement over previous designs. Surena 4 is lighter, more compact, and more agile. It's capable of mimicking a person's full-body pose, grasping a water bottle, and writing its name on a whiteboard. A team of about 50 engineers and researchers built Surena 4 at the University of Tehran's Center for Advanced Systems and Technologies (CAST). Led by Aghil Yousefi-Koma, a professor of mechanical engineering, the group worked for nearly four years to develop the new robot. Professor Yousefi-Koma has emphasized that he views Surena as a "symbol of technology advancement in the direction of peace and humanity," hoping it will help inspire people about the possibilities of robotics.

An adult-size humanoid robot leans backwards while standing on its right foot. — Even a banana peel wouldn't stop Surena. Photo: Center for Advanced Vehicles/University of Tehran

An adult-size humanoid robot walks up a ramp. — The robot can walk up and down stairs and ramps. Photo: Center for Advanced Vehicles/University of Tehran

More Images

An adult-size humanoid robot is seen in a semi-dark room with a screen showing other robots in the background. — IEEE's Robots App spotted at Surena 3's unveiling. Photo: Center for Advanced Vehicles/University of Tehran

Four knee-high humanoid robots of different colors stand on a table. — Surena Mini can push small objects, or karate-chop them. Photo: Center for Advanced Vehicles/University of Tehran

A white humanoid robot stands against a dark background. — Surena 2 had 22 DOF and could walk at a pace of 0.03 meters per second. Photo: Center for Advanced Vehicles/University of Tehran

A prototype humanoid consisting of a metal frame, electronics, and wires takes a step. — A look inside Surena 2. Photo: Center for Advanced Vehicles/University of Tehran

The first Surena humanoid robot presented on a stage in front of flowers. — Surena 4, 3, 2 ... 1! Photo: Center for Advanced Vehicles/University of Tehran

Specs

Overview: Capable of walking on uneven terrain, push recovery, manipulating of objects, and force-controlled gripping. Has face and object detection and follow, action imitation with whole-body motion generation, and speech recognition and synthesis.
Status: Ongoing
Year: 2019
Website: surenahumanoid.com
Width: 55 cm
Height: 170 cm
Length: 35 cm
Weight: 68 kg
Speed: 0.7 km/h
Sensors: Cameras, gyroscope, accelerometers, inertial measurement unit (IMU), 6-axis force-torque sensors, motor absolute and incremental encoders, current sensors, foot contact sensors, microphone.
Actuators: 21 custom actuators (harmonic drive, frameless flat high torque motors, incremental and absolute encoders), 10 mini servo actuators, 12 micro servo actuators.
Degrees of Freedom (DoF): 43 DoF (Head: 3 DoF; Arm: 7 DoF x 2; Hand: 6 DoF x 2; Waist: 2 DoF; Lower body: 6 DoF x 2)
Materials: Core structure: AZ91 magnesium alloy, aluminum, carbon fiber. Exterior: 3D printed shell.
Compute: Intel Core i7 2.8 GHz CPU. GTX 1060 6 GB GDDR5 GPU. FPGA and microcontrollers.
Software: Ubuntu Linux OS, C++ and Python control application, ROS, Gazebo, and Choreonoid simulation software. Github repository.
Power: Two 10,000 mAh 22.2 V lithium-polymer battery packs, 30 minutes of operation.