--- title: "Scientists Built a Robot With Jetpacks and a Creepy, Doll-Like Face" description: "A team of researchers from the Italian Institute of Technology have created a jetpack-wearing humanoid robot — that also has a creepy, doll-like face for some reason. In other words, it’s the last kind of creature we’d want to encounter during the singularity. The monstrosity called iRonCub (iCub Equipped with Jet Engines) has two jet […]" date: "2021-12-09" modified: "2021-12-09" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientists-robot-jetpack-doll" categories: - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "humanoid robot" - "robotics" - "the digest" --- # Scientists Built a Robot With Jetpacks and a Creepy, Doll-Like Face ![A team of researchers from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) have created a jetpack-wearing humanoid robot — that also has a creepy, doll face.]() *\Image: IIT\* ## Robo Harpy A team of researchers from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) have created a jetpack-wearing humanoid robot — and it has a creepy, doll-like face for some reason. In other words, it's the last kind of creature we'd want to encounter during the singularity. The nightmarish monstrosity, called iRonCub (iCub Equipped with Jet Engines), as detailed in [a paper]() recently accepted for publication in the journal *IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters*, has two jet engines attached to the ends of each of its arms, and another two attached to its backpack. It may look terrifying, but the researchers propose the creepy jetpack doll could one day be used to overcome otherwise impassable terrain and help during disaster response. A [charming video render]() shows the robot doing just that, effortlessly blasting off over some rubble. https://youtu.be/NShdgh16Yuk ## Blast Off In a real-world test — which, it must be said, is basically a scene straight out of a horror sci-fi movie — the researchers put some shiny protective pants on the jetpack doll and let the four jet engines rip. While the robot wasn't able to hover, two scales it was standing on during the test were able to inform the researchers of the changes in the robot's weight. "Aerial humanoid robotics extends aerial manipulation to a more robust and energy efficient level," Daniele Pucci, head of the Artificial and Mechanical Intelligence lab at IIT, [told *IEEE Spectrum*](). "In fact, aerial manipulation is often exemplified by quadrotors equipped with a robotic arm." But as opposed to a simple drone, a humanoid robot could potentially lend a literal hand while still being able to cover otherwise hard-to-traverse ground with its handy jetpack. Pucci also told *IEEE Spectrum* that their research can also be used as a "test-bed for actuated flying exoskeletons for human beings." Now, the team is hoping to get their doll-faced monstrosity into the air for real. So get ready to run. **READ MORE:** [Jet-Powered Robot Prepares for Liftoff]() \[*IEEE Spectrum*\] **More on humanoid robots:** *[New Video Shows Robot With Terrifyingly Realistic Facial Expressions]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()