Humanoid robots could soon move in a far more realistic manner — and even dance just like us — thanks to a new software framework for tracking human motion. Developed by researchers at UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, MIT, and Nvidia, “ExBody2” is a new technology that enables humanoid robots to perform realistic movements based on detailed scans and motion-tracked visualizations of humans. The researchers hope that future humanoid robots could perform a much wider range of tasks by mimicking human movements more accurately. For example, the teaching method could help robots operate in roles requiring fine movements — such as retrieving items from shelves — or moving with care around humans or other machines. ExBody2 works by taking simulated movements based on motion-capture scans of humans and translating them into usable motion data for the robot to replicate. The framework can replicate complex movements using the robot, which would let robots move less rigidly and adapt to different tasks without needing extensive retraining.

Full report : Lifelike human motion could enable robots to complete far more tasks, as well as adapt to environments they’ve not been specifically designed for.