Even when some or all of those are addressed, there remains the question of what happens when a system makes an inevitable mistake.
We can’t, however, expect consumers to learn to program or hire someone who can help any time an issue arrives.
Thankfully, this is a great use case for LLMs (large language models) in the robotics space, as exemplified by new research from MIT.
“LLMs have a way to tell you how to do each step of a task, in natural language.
It’s a simple, repeatable task for humans, but for robots, it’s a combination of various small tasks.
Naturally, Nvidia wants a piece.
Keeping things in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Jetson Thor, a new computer designed specifically for running simulation workflows, generative AI models and more for the humanoid form factor.
Nvidia notes of the new silicon:The SoC includes a next-generation GPU based on NVIDIA Blackwell architecture with a transformer engine delivering 800 teraflops of 8-bit floating point AI performance to run multimodal generative AI models like GR00T.
Naturally, Nvidia wants a piece of the action.
The next several years will present a fascinating race for market share between humanoids and mobile manipulators, and Nvidia wants a piece of all of that action.
Pilot season has officially begun for the world of humanoid robotics.
Last year, Amazon began testing Agility’s Digit robots in select fulfillment centers, while this January, Figure announced a deal with BMW.
Now Apptronik is getting in on the action, courtesy of a partnership with Mercedes-Benz.
Apptronik can demonstrate clear interest from a leading automotive name, while Mercedes signals to customers and shareholders alike that it’s looking to the future.
Apptronik is a University of Austin spinout best known for its work on NASA’s Valkyrie humanoid robot.
It’s not a flat-out refutation of the form factor, so much as an acknowledgement that — in spite of investor enthusiasm — it’s not the ideal tool for every job.
This week’s Modex supply chain show inAtlanta told its own story — one populated by very few humanoids.
A number of the players I spoke with continued to express skepticism around the widespread adoption of humanoid robots in the workplace.
I heard very few outright rejections of the humanoid form factor.
These instances, which now require human intervention, could be the ideal scenario for humanoids, whether operating autonomously or teleoperated, as in the case of Reflex, the other humanoid robotics firm present at Modex.
The future of recycling is here, and of course, it involves robots and artificial intelligence.
Rebecca Hu, the co-founder of the robotics company Glacier, creates robots that help recycling plants separate and, well, recycle material.
Before, sorting recyclable materials was a manual job that took hours for someone to do.
Today, Glacier has been using AI cameras so that robots can better identify recyclable materials.
Hu said training the robots to spot materials was akin to teaching a toddler how to tell two things apart.
LG Electronics may no longer be a household name in smartphones, but it still sees a big future in gadgets like robots.
Today, the company confirmed a $60 million investment in Bear Robotics, the California startup that makes artificial intelligence-powered server robots for restaurants and other venues — autonomous tray towers on wheels that are meant to replace waiters.
With the investment, LG Electronics becomes Bear’s largest shareholder.
We’ve contacted Bear and LG for further comment.
The Korean electronics company has been researching and developing software and hardware in robotics.
Covariant is building ChatGPT for robots The UC Berkeley spinout says its new AI platform can help robots think more like peopleCovariant this week announced the launch of RFM-1 (Robotics Foundation Model 1).
“We at Covariant have already deployed lots of robots at warehouses with success.
“We do like a lot of the work that is happening in the more general purpose robot hardware space,” says Chen.
“ChatGPT for robots” isn’t a perfect analogy, but it’s a reasonable shorthand (especially in light of the founders’ connection to OpenAI).
Chen says the company expects the new RFM-1 platform will work with a “majority” of the hardware on which Covariant software is already deployed.
Agility Robotics’ new CEO is ‘focused on the here and now’ The Digit-maker’s current and former CEOs discuss Amazon, Generative AI and last-mile deliveryThere was nothing else like Digit on the ProMat floor last year.
This week, Agility named Microsoft veteran Peggy Johnson its second-ever CEO.
They’re just focused on a handful of use cases that Digit can provide value for.”Perhaps the biggest difference between Agility and the growing army of humanoid robotics startups is its sizable head start.
The firm was founded in 2015 as a spinoff of Hurst’s work on legged robotics at Oregon State University.
While Agility isn’t explicitly looking to raise at the moment, the company says the possibility is always on the table.
It did so, however, with the ambitious goal of creating a walking bipedal robot in a year’s time.
Humanoid robots are having a moment.
The goal of the deal is to “develop next generation AI models for humanoid robots,” according to Figure.
“We are excited to collaborate with Figure and work towards accelerating AI breakthroughs,” says Microsoft Corporate VP, Jon Tinter.
Mechatronics are easier to judge in a short video than AI and autonomy, and from that perspective, the Figure 01 robot appears quite dexterous.
Uber, along with partners Mitsubishi Electric and autonomous robotics startup Cartken, are launching a service in Japan that will use self-driving sidewalk robots to deliver food to customers.
Uber and Cartken, a startup founded in 2019 by former Google engineers behind the short-lived Bookbot, already operate a delivery service together in Fairfax, Virginia and Miami.
Cartken’s autonomous sidewalk robot, known as Model C, will be used for the delivery service.
Cartken’s teleoperations interface will be used by Mitsubishi Electric employees who are trained in Cartken’s remote guidance system, according to an Uber spokesperson.
“We hope that this newly announced initiative will serve as a catalyst for the spread of robot delivery services in Japan,” Tanaka said.
