The T-HR3, Toyota's third-generation humanoid robot, was designed from the get-go to be remote-controlled by a human. The operators strap themselves into a base with wearable hand, arm and foot controls, along with a head-mounted display that lets them view the world from the robot's perspective. The robot in turn sends force feedback to the operators, allowing them to better sense their environment and safely operate the bot.

At the same time, the robot has full-body balance and coordination control to keep it upright, and flexible joint control, "to control the force of contact the robot makes with any individuals or objects in its surrounding environment."

T-HR3 was designed from the beginning for wireless remote control, so it was only a matter of time before Toyota tried it. The low-latency network kept signal delays to a minimum, allowing for smooth operation, the companies said.

The aim is to eventually use the robot to assist patients or shut-ins with limited mobility. "The Partner Robot team members are committed to using the technology in T-HR3 to develop friendly and helpful robots that coexist with humans and assist them in their daily lives," said Akifumi Tamaoki, general manager of Toyota's Partner Robot division. They'll show it again soon in a more ambitious demo at Docomo's open house in Tokyo on December 6th.