On February 2, the amphibious robot and underwater variable structure robot made a debut at the Beijing 2022 Olympic torch relay. The "Smart Shape" design team led by Professor Xue Yi of Nankai University was invited to collaborate with the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Winter Games and the Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences to complete the visual form design of the robot.

Under the Lianshi Lake in Beijing's Winter Olympics Park, the Olympic flame was "compatible" in the water. The torch relay was carried out by two robots under the water, which is the first time of its kind in the history of the Olympic Games, becoming a highlight of the "Science and Technology Winter Olympics".

▲ Renderings of the amphibious robot in visual form design

▲Three views of the amphibious robot in visual form design

▲ Renderings of the underwater variable structure robot in visual form design

▲ Three views of the underwater variable structure robot in visual form design

Underwater Olympic torch relay by robots for the first time

The underwater relay includes three parts: the robot sliding into the water from the ice surface, the underwater torch relay, and the robot surfacing. First came the amphibious robot, which looked like a curling stone. The Olympic torch was set on its handle as if it was being held aloft. Holding a burning torch, the amphibious robot spun along the curling track and slid into the ice hole, creating a magical scene of "compatible fire and water".

At the same time, the underwater variable structure robot was also ready to go. It moves towards the amphibious robot with its arms tightly holding the torch and accurately caught the flame and completed the relay within 10 seconds. The underwater torch relay shows the ideal of "Together for a shared future" of the Beijing Winter Olympics and the vision of China's artificial intelligence robot technology development.

Professor Xue Yi (fifth from left) and the "Smart Shape" design team

In nearly half a year, professor Xue Yi organized a team consisting of doctors, postgraduates, and undergraduates. The team made an in-depth research into the functions and structures of different prototypes, shape and motion characteristics, visual form and era character, and the relations between materials and colors, process technology and safety and stability, graphic decoration design and culture connotation and the Olympic spirit, as well as the application of mark symbol and other details, carrying out sufficient study and system design for the torch relay and the shape and posture of motion robot for the Olympic Winter Games.

Professor Xue Yi (first from left) is discussing with the Smart Shape design team

"We were asked to design the looks and expressions of nine robots for the Olympic Winter Games. We modified and perfected their different functional forms, visual expressions, and application scenarios for dozens of times. Finally, the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games chose two of them for the torch relay. In addition to the amphibious robot and underwater variable structure robot, the flying robot, land six-wheeled robot, climbing robot, skiing robot, skating robot, curling robot, and seeing-eye robot of the Smart Shape design will be presented in the display services of winter sports of the Olympic Winter Games and Winter Paralympic Games and will be applied to life in the future." Xue Yi said.

Design sketch of the visual modality of nine robots for the Winter Olympics Games

(Reported by Duan Wei and edited and translated by Nankai News Team)