Here’s the lowdown on the latest in humanoid robots. Remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay hip as humanoid robotic technology advances rapidly.
From humanoid robots taking over as bank and logistics workers to Disney’s latest innovations, the following are just some of the latest developments.
Digit Starts at SPANX Warehouse
Agility Robotics’ Digit humanoid robot has started its first official job at a Spanx facility. Agility CEO Peggy Johnson told Fortune there are over a million unfilled warehouse jobs in the US that require the repetitive, mundane motions Digit performs.
“They can’t find people to do that, so it taxes the people are there even more and they’re ending up doing this repetitive work for longer parts of their day,” she said in the interview.
Digit robots handle tasks like moving plastic totes. They’re controlled through Agility’s Arc cloud automation platform.
Not only is working at the Connecticut facility Digit’s first official job, but it’s also the industry’s first commercial deployment of humanoid robots under a robots-as-a-service (RaaS) model.
Digit is 5’9″ and weighs 140 lb. The humanoid robot is designed to work alongside humans in logistics, performing repetitive tasks.
The deployment is the result of an agreement with GXO Logistics, which is also testing a humanoid robot named Apollo as a proof of concept for wider use. GXO Logistics is teaming up with Apptronik to test using the robot to work alongside humans, lifting heavy boxes and crates.
The Apollo humanoid robot stands 5’8″ and weighs 160 lb. It can lift up to 55 lb and is intended for tasks like moving boxes, totes, and crates within warehouses. GXO Logistics operates 869 warehouses across 27 countries, employing nearly 100,000 people.
GR-1 Trains at Shanghai Bank
The GR-1 humanoid robot has begun training at a China Construction Bank branch in Shanghai, according to China Daily.
The general-purpose humanoid robot helps with business consulting, providing information to customers, and guiding people on how to use the bank’s smart teller machines. The GR1 by Cora Intelligence has advanced AI capabilities and humanlike movements.
The project aims to improve customer service and efficiency at the bank. New footage of the GR1 general-purpose humanoid robot appears to show a brain-computer interface for robotic control.
Shanghai-based Fourier Intelligence released new footage of the 5’5″ humanoid robot. The video notes improvements to the robot over the last six months, including more flexible hands, voice interaction training, integration with digital twin technology, and extended reality applications.
Weighing 121 lb, the GR1 can carry objects up to 110 lb and features 40 degrees of freedom. The robot can navigate complex environments with advanced motion control and self-adaptive balance capabilities. Its camera-based pure vision system uses six RGB cameras for a 360-degree view.
The robot is intended for industrial, healthcare, and domestic tasks.
Google DeepMind Trains Robot with Gemini AI
Google is using its advanced AI model to train robots to navigate the real world. DeepMind, Alphabet’s AI research lab, just released footage of a robot trained on Gemini 1.5 Pro traversing through its busy office.
According to The Verge, DeepMind uses the Gemini AI model to train robots using video tours, helping them learn to move and finish tasks through visual inputs. Gemini 1.5 Pro understands massive amounts of data from long-form videos and documents, processing up to 10 million tokens.
It can handle a lot more data than previous models. The AI splits up tasks into smaller chunks and assigns them to specialized groups that handle specific types of tasks. The method, called mixture of experts, makes the model very efficient.
Disney’s Bipedal Robot with Artistic Expression
DisneyResearchHub has created a new bipedal robot with leg movements designed for artistic expression, geared toward entertainment applications.
The robot uses a reinforcement learning-based control system to perform complex artist-directed motions. The system adapts and learns to execute these motions more efficiently with advanced AI.
Its motions are guided by an animation engine that blends several animation sources for fluid and realistic movements. The researchers say the approach delivers more dynamic and realistic performances compared to robots with rigid pre-programmed movements.
According to DisneyResearchHub, the control system is user-friendly, so operators can easily guide the robot in real-time during performances.
The Disney division focuses on advancing technology and innovation in areas like robotics, artificial intelligence, and immersive technologies.
The lab also recently developed a novel way to design soft robots that use air to move and interact with their surroundings. A robot’s shape is perfected using a computer model that accurately predicts how it’ll move. The soft pneumatic actuator design using a differentiable simulation method was tested on artistic and practical robots.
Torobo Hammers Nails Accurately
Tokyo Robotics has released footage of its Torobo humanoid robot accurately hammering nails.
Torobo has arms with seven joints that move like human limbs. It’s designed for work in industrial environments alongside humans.
Standing 5’4″, Torobo can feel how much force it uses and adjusts itself to avoid damage. It stops automatically if it bumps into something. It runs on batteries that can work for up to 3 hours.
Unity Game Software Used for Robotic Control
This robot hand is controlled in real-time using Unity game development software. The footage is from a course taught by Professor Luis Sentis at the University of Texas at Austin on human-centered robotics.
The project combines many technologies like servo motors, pulleys, and sensors into one system. The students achieved the difficult feat of realistic robotic thumb movement with the integration. It can make different hand signs and even play rock-paper-scissors.
The software processes data in real-time to adjust the hand’s movements quickly. The sensors create a feedback loop that improves the hand’s accuracy when interacting with objects.
Unity software is used for creating and managing real-time 3D and 2D interactive content like video games and simulations. The platform’s robotics visualization package visualizes sensor data and other robot-related info in real-time for debugging and understanding robot interactions. Unity generates synthetic data for training machine learning models used for tasks like object pose estimation.
Robotic Avatar System
A novel robotic avatar system lets people control a robot like it’s their own body.
Team SNU, a cross-discipline group of researchers and engineers from Seoul National University in South Korea, developed a custom humanoid robot called Tocabi that gives real-time feedback through sight, sound, and touch. The robot moves its arms, legs, and head just like a human.
It’s controlled using a VR headset, special gloves, and pedals to make operations seem realistic. The technology could help people do dangerous jobs and provide assistance from a safe distance.
Team SNU is focused on advanced robotic systems with teleoperation and telepresence integration.
More Humanoid Robots!
For the latest in humanoid robots, subscribe to my YouTube channel.