HUBO Lab Tour

I finally got around to taking some pictures, so here's a quick tour of the Hubo Lab. We start with the big sign on the outside of the building. Theres at least 5 other labs in the same building, but we're the only one with a sign. Also, the Mechanical Engineering department has a pretty cool logo.

Even the entrance to the lab is impressive. There's lots of artwork hanging throughout the lab, done by Dr. Oh's son who is an artist in the US.

The grad student office is pretty nice, comfortable chairs, lots of room, bookshelves, etc. There's also a section devoted to making coffee with a hot and cold water dispenser. The hot water is also perfect for making instant ramen late at night. The last picture is my desk.

Some other highlights: A nice large conference room, a full office (w/ secretary), a men's and women's bathroom, kitchen, washer/dryer, and large patio deck out back.

By far my favorite part of the lab is the resting room. Four bunk beds are available anytime you need a nap or if you want to spend the night in the lab. Best idea ever. There's also a tv and a shower. So much nicer than the dorm I've been paying for. Actually, my dorm is kicking me out three days early so I am staying in the lab my last three nights.

Then there's all the technical stuff. A large CNC vertical machining center, a CNC lathe, lots of soldering equipment, and well stocked parts bins. The lab employs a full time technician who does all of the machining and does a really good job. Way better than relying on undergrads.

Last but not least, the robots. The Hubo Lab is most famous for the humanoid robot Hubo. I put up some videos in my first post, make sure to check those out. This is one of the most advanced humanoids in the world, capable of walking and running, and has a fully articulated upper body.

They also have several additional projects. One is called HuboWay which is kind of like a segway. Hubo can walk over to it, climb on, and ride it anywhere it wants. There's also HuboDog which is a four legged version of Hubo.

Just like our lab in the US, it seems like the Hubo Lab is the most popular lab on campus to visit. One day a huge camera crew came by to film Hubo. They had at least 15 people in the camera crew and spent most of a day setting up and doing the shoot. Thats all for now, I think I'll go take a nap in the resting room.