TOKYO, June 28 Asia Pulse - Robot development firm Speecys Corp. has developed a small bipedal walking robot powered by fuel cells.

Capitalizing on the fact that fuel cells do not emit carbon dioxide or need to be charged, the company developed the Speecys FC for use in research and at special events. It is 50cm tall, weights 4.2kg and is operated by a personal computer via a wireless local area network.

The robot is powered by five fuel cell stacks located in its arms. A 16-liter canister of compressed hydrogen is inserted near the robot's neck and provides enough fuel for around one hour of operation.

The company will begin manufacturing it on a build-to-order basis for universities, research institutions and companies in July, with the robot to be priced at 2.5 million yen (US$22,850).

Asia Pulse Pte Ltd.
01.07.2005