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Robot Pemba José makes history scaling Ecuador's Chimborazo
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Technology

Robot Pemba José makes history scaling Ecuador's Chimborazo

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A humanoid robot named Pemba José successfully climbed Ecuador's Chimborazo mountain, reaching over 6,000 meters.
  • The robot collected scientific data on glaciers and climate, aiming to revolutionize research in extreme conditions.
  • The project, initiated by the non-profit 'Geologic Dome,' faced initial skepticism but was supported by a donated robot.

A humanoid robot, Pemba José, has made history by ascending Ecuador's Chimborazo mountain to an altitude exceeding 6,000 meters. This groundbreaking achievement is poised to transform scientific research in extreme environments through the meticulous collection of data on glaciers and climate.

When we launched the project, they called us crazy.

— Pablo BerlangaPablo Berlanga, a 23-year-old Spanish engineer and co-founder of the non-profit 'Geologic Dome,' described the initial skepticism surrounding the project.

The robot, a collaboration between Spanish engineer Pablo Berlanga and Ecuadorian Titania Freire of the non-profit 'Geologic Dome,' successfully navigated challenges related to mobility, battery efficiency, and communication at extreme altitudes. Chimborazo, known as Ecuador's highest mountain and the point closest to the sun from Earth's center, provided a unique testing ground for robotics in conservation studies.

Berlanga shared that the team was initially dismissed as "crazy" by many who were unwilling to provide a robot for fear of brand damage if it failed. Ultimately, Eastworlds donated a Unitree robot, which was named Pemba José. "Pemba" means Saturday in Sherpa, as the robot was "born" that day, and "José" was chosen as a common Ecuadorian name.

Nobody wanted to give us a robot, nobody.

— Pablo BerlangaPablo Berlanga explained the difficulty in securing a robot for the expedition due to fears of negative brand association.

Constructed from high-strength aluminum and carbon fiber, Pemba José stands approximately 132 centimeters tall and weighs 35 kilograms. It is equipped with three cameras, normal, infrared, and LiDAR, capable of creating precise 3D environmental reconstructions. Despite concerns about snow affecting its performance, preliminary analyses indicate successful data collection for monitoring glaciers and rivers, with plans to digitally map robot access routes for future research.

The most difficult thing was the altitude and the extreme climate.

— Pemba JoséThe robot Pemba José described its experience during the ascent of Chimborazo.

The robot described the ascent as a blend of science and adventure, citing the extreme altitude and weather as the greatest challenges. It reported capturing spectacular landscapes, including glaciers and the curvature of the Earth, and collecting extensive scientific data on temperature, atmospheric pressure, and other factors crucial for monitoring endangered animals, deforestation, glaciers, and water reserves.

I saw spectacular landscapes, glaciers, and the curvature of the Earth.

— Pemba JoséThe robot Pemba José shared its visual observations during the historic climb.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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