The humanoid robotic market is evolving at breakneck speed. It’s nearly impossible for anyone to keep up with the non-stop advancements and announcements. The following are some of the most notable recent developments.
Brain Computer Interface (BCI) Integration
New footage of the GR-1 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, noting improvements 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.
Dance, Humanoid, Dance!
Engineers at UC San Diego have trained the Unitree H1 general-purpose humanoid robot to dance. The research team says its method, called expressive full-body control or XBODY, uses human motion data to teach the robot how to move and perform gestures.
The researchers say humanoid robots learning expressive movements can help them better collaborate in places like factories, hospitals, and disaster zones. They say teaching robots to dance with data from dance videos makes them more approachable and effective in human-centric tasks.
The robot learned its moves by practicing in a computer simulation. It performed well in real-life situations but faced challenges like preventing damage from falling. Future plans include making the robot work on its own using a camera system.
Unitree Robotics introduced the H1 as the Chinese company’s first humanoid robot in December 2022. The robot is noted for its quickness, setting a world record of 7.4 mph. The robot is equipped with 3D lidar and an Intel Realsense depth camera for 360-degree perception.
Giant Humanoid Robot Tends Japan’s Railway
A giant humanoid robot is headed to work maintaining Japan’s railway system. Developed by JR West, the unnamed robot will perform high-risk maintenance tasks like painting and pruning along railway lines. The humanoid is controlled remotely via a VR headset.
It can lift heavy objects and reach heights up to 32 ft. JR West, or West Japan Railway Company, is one of six companies created after the privatization of Japan National Railways in 1987. It primarily operates train services in the western region of Japan, including the cities of Osaka and Hiroshima.
Nvidia PlaMo
Humanoid characters can move more realistically through complex 3D worlds with a new technology developed by researchers from Nvidia. The system, called PlaMo, uses reinforcement learning to make characters walk, run, and crawl naturally.
PlaMo is short for plan and move. It combines planning paths and controlling movements to navigate terrain and obstacles. PlaMo allows humanoids to follow planned paths effectively while responding to dynamic environmental changes.
Potential applications include video game development, immersive and realistic virtual reality, robotics, entertainment, and simulation training programs.
Nvidia’s founder, Jensen Huang, expects big advancements in humanoid robotics in the next few years that will accelerate adoption.
“The challenge, of course, is the technology itself is incredibly hard. A robot that understands the physical world and the laws of physics, like setting objects on a table without them going through it, has to understand these common-sense things that children learn over the years. We have to teach these things to AIs. The technology is evolving very quickly, and over the next two or three years, you will see significant breakthroughs,” he said in a recent interview.
China’s Humanoid Robot Governance
China released its first governance guidelines for humanoid robots during the 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference. An array of humanoid robots was showcased, including the Unitree Robotics H1, a Chinese full-size general-purpose humanoid robot capable of running, and Tesla’s Optimus.
The guidelines emphasize the need for a reliable industrial supply chain and the integration of robotics across sectors where humans currently perform dangerous tasks. Humanoid robots took center stage at the AI conference as China aggressively aims to take over the humanoid robotic market by 2025. The Chinese government wants to mass-produce humanoid robots by nurturing a few large-scale companies, creating a cluster of specialized small and medium-sized enterprises, and fostering industrial hubs dedicated to humanoids.
Nio Trials HarmonyOS Integrated Robot
NIO is testing the first humanoid robot equipped with Huawei’s HarmonyOS at the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer’s assembly plants. The robot, named Kuavo, is being tested at factories of Nio and Jiangsu Hang Tong Group.
The humanoid robot developed by Leju Robotics debuted at Huawei’s HDC 2024 developer conference in June. Quavo is designed for industrial and domestic settings. HarmonyOS is an open-source operating system designed to work with a broad range of devices like smartphones, tablets, wearables, smart TVs, and IoT devices.
Founded in 2014, Nio is one of China’s leading EV manufacturers, focusing on high-performance premium electric cars.
QingLong General-Purpose Robot Debuts
China’s first full-size general-purpose humanoid robot debuted at the 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. Qin Long features a highly bionic torso and anthropomorphic motion control.
According to Technode, the humanoid robot can navigate different terrains, recognize and interact with objects and people, and manipulate objects with precision. It can also execute complex tasks autonomously. Developed by the National Local Joint Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, Qinglong is set to compete with advanced AI robots such as Tesla’s Optimus, Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, and Figure’s Figure 01.
Figure 01 Starts at BMW
Figure 01 has started working at the BMW factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The AI robot was developed by Figure, which describes itself as a first-of-its-kind AI robotics company bringing a general-purpose humanoid to life. The Figure 01 is 5’6″ and weighs 130 lb. It can lift up to 45 lb. It’s designed to automate difficult and unsafe industrial tasks.
Figure released the footage as an update to its partnership announcement with the German automaker earlier this year.
GXO Logistics Tries Apollo
A humanoid robot named Apollo is being deployed in warehouses for one of the world’s largest logistics companies 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.
Sanctuary AI has secured another round of funding from Canadian investors to bring artificial general intelligence into the physical world. The Vancouver-based company announced new investments from BDC Capital’s venture fund and inBC Investment Corp, bringing the startup’s total funding to more than $140 million.
Sanctuary says Gen 7 of its Phoenix robots have improved human-like movements, visual perception, and tactile sensing, allowing them to perform complex tasks for longer periods. The speed of automating new tasks has accelerated 50-fold.
EX Robot Goes Viral Again
Footage from the factory floor of EX Robot, where hyper-realistic humanoid robots are created, gained global attention. X Robots designs replicate human emotions and behaviors with increasing accuracy.
According to the South China Morning Post, the robots take from 2 weeks to a month to produce and cost up to $280,000. Most of the robots so far are for display in museums, but X Robots aims to integrate them across sectors.
Robotic Brain with Human Stem Cells
Chinese scientists say they’ve created a robot with a brain made from human stem cells. It’s a step toward human hybrid robotics. The brain-chip technology developed by researchers at Tenen University enables the artificial brain to learn tasks like gripping objects.
According to the South China Morning Post, the team used neuro-stem cells to construct the brain for the humanoid robot. The researchers said integrating human stem cells into robotic minds can empower machines to perform more complex tasks like living organisms.
3D Smiling Robot Made with Living Human Tissue
This smiling 3D space model is made with living human cells. Scientists from the University of Tokyo and Harvard 3D printed tiny anchor holes inspired by human skin to attach the living tissue to the robot. The design helps the skin stick better and keeps it from over-shrinking. The technique could make way for humanoid robots with lifelike self-healing skin. The findings were reported in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science.
Emotional Support Humanoid Robot
Fudan University in Shanghai has introduced a new emotional humanoid robot named Guanghua No. 1. The robot is designed for assisting with elderly care and healthcare services. It features 45 intelligent joints. The humanoid robot displays facial expressions and shows emotions like happiness and sadness.
It uses advanced artificial intelligence to interpret and respond to human emotions. Its creators say the robot provides empathetic and personalized care. Researchers will now develop the robot further to improve its interactions and practical applications in real-world settings.
HumanPlus Boxing Robot
The HumanPlus robot can learn to box by shadowing and mimicking fast, complex human motions. The humanoid robot, developed at the Stanford University Artificial Intelligence Lab, can also play table tennis and fold laundry by copying human actions observed with cameras and sensors.
It requires 40 hours of human motion data for training. Just under 6 ft tall, the HumanPlus robot is equipped with two RGB cameras and has 33 degrees of freedom. It’s powered by motors that generate up to 360 Newton meters of torque. Its battery life lasts about 2 hours. In a new research paper, the Human Plus team said they plan to improve the robot’s abilities and fix issues with its movement and pose estimation.
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