Westwood Robotics Spotlights Bruce at Robotics Summit

Summit Debut Sparks Buzz

Westwood Robotics unveiled its kid-sized humanoid Bruce at the Robotics Summit in April-May 2025, drawing crowds to Booth 650 for live demos of dynamic bipedal feats. CEO Xiaoguang Zhang highlighted how Bruce pairs model-based controllers with reinforcement learning for real-time adaptation, positioning it as a go-to platform for STEAM education and research labs. This showcase builds on Bruce's adoption by universities and companies since its ICRA 2024 reveal, signaling Westwood's push to bridge academia and industry with agile, repairable humanoids that handle tough tasks alongside humans.

Dynamic Motions Redefined

Bruce stands out with its carbon fiber frame enabling explosive actions like running at 0.8 m/s, single-leg hopping, and platform backflips, all powered by lightweight 250g leg drivers delivering 8Nm burst torque. Liquid-cooled knee actuators prevent overheating during intense sessions, allowing seamless shifts between walking, jumping, and yaw-rotating leaps. These capabilities foster human-like agility, making Bruce ideal for researchers testing locomotion in unpredictable settings, from classrooms to labs, where it adapts intuitively to foster collaborative experiments.

Sensing Tech Unlocks Precision

At its core, Bruce integrates a 6-DOF IMU sampling at 2kHz alongside four contact sensors for instantaneous environmental feedback, feeding into a 6 TOPS onboard computer with 8GB RAM and deep learning support. Proprietary BEAR proprioceptive actuators provide compliance for safe interactions, while visual SLAM and MPC algorithms ensure stable navigation. This engineering leap from RoMeLa roots at UCLA empowers nuanced control, turning raw data into fluid, human-centric movements that researchers can tweak via open-source ROS2-compatible Linux software in Python or C++.

Research Labs Embrace Versatility

Adopted by leading institutions, Bruce excels in locomotion studies, dynamic control algorithms, and human-robot teamwork, carrying tools or precision instruments for hands-on testing. Its modular design simplifies repairs with 3D-printable parts, encouraging bold prototyping without cost fears. Educational programs leverage wireless SSH/Bluetooth control for group sessions, while industrial partners explore payload integrations, proving Bruce transforms abstract research into practical outcomes like safer human assistance or algorithm validation in real-world chaos.

Skills Power Human Ties

Bruce's 70cm height, 15x25cm base, and 4.8kg weight enable portable dexterity for extended interaction sessions, with a 3000mAh battery sustaining 20 minutes of dynamic play to build rapport in shared spaces. High-frequency IMU and contact sensors sharpen balance for natural walking beside people, while RGB cameras and Visual SLAM drive empathetic navigation around humans. Force-limiting safety, collision detection, and wireless emergency stops ensure trustworthy partnerships, letting researchers focus on breakthroughs in bipedal grace and collaborative intelligence.

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