It’s been quite a year for humanoid robots, with all sorts of increasingly advanced designs coming to our attention. The selection here focuses more on physical exercise than AI intelligence, with the latter expected to come to the fore next year.
H1 from Unitree
So many humanoid robots still walk as if they are desperately looking for a toilet. But Unitree’s H1 robot not only walks like a human, it also runs like one. The impressive device proved itself at the first-ever World Humanoid Robot Olympics in August, winning four gold medals, three silver medals and four bronze medals in various athletics competitions.
The H1 robot won its first gold in the 1,500 meters, completing the race in style in 6 minutes and 34 seconds (the world record is 3 minutes and 26 seconds). The humanoid robot reached a top speed of 4.78 meters per second and ran with ease and grace. His arms and legs moved in perfect sync to maintain balance, speed and momentum.
Only Head from AheadForm
At first glance, you might think that this video of a robot head was created by AI. That wasn’t it. Chinese company AheadForm’s work, the so-called Only Head, is described as a “facial robot” designed for research, interaction and high-end displays.
His movements are astonishingly lifelike, so much so that the footage will probably creep you out. The setup includes a complete facial actuation system with up to 25 micromotors that enable lifelike expressions that can represent any human emotion. Only Head’s students have cameras for visual perception, and built-in microphones and speakers enable real-time audio interaction.
ALLEX from WIRobotics
One of the biggest challenges for engineers developing humanoid robots is achieving natural hand movements, with the delicate movement and sensitivity of human fingers proving extremely difficult to reproduce. However, South Korean technology company WIRobotics has pulled it off well, as its humanoid robot ALLEX (from “All EXperience”) demonstrates amazingly versatile finger movements.
Once perfected, you can imagine these hands – and the rest of the robot – being used on a production line or even used for prosthetics. WI Robotics says it is also working with an AI startup to develop ALLEX’s AI smarts to make it a truly remarkable robot.
G1 from Unitree
Here’s another one from Unitree. This is slightly smaller than the adult-sized H1 robot that performed so well at the Robot Olympics. The G1 has garnered attention for its amazing balance and ability to recover after being knocked over. The team behind it calls it “anti-gravity mode.”
In any robot uprising, you can imagine the G1 taking the lead, with human fighters unable to fend off the onslaught of waves of G1 robots that just don’t want to go down… but let’s hope it never comes to that.
The flop… AIDOL from Artificial Intelligence Dynamic Organism Lab
For talented roboticists, this video will be a tough watch. It features a new humanoid robot from Russia called AIDOL. Its creators unveiled AIDOL at a special event in November, but seconds after stumbling onto the stage, the robot lost its balance and fell spectacularly.
In a desperate attempt to retain any shred of dignity, several assistants rushed over and attempted to place a sheet over AIDOL, but that too failed as it became tangled and failed to cover the robot. This meant we had to witness AIDOL being dragged off stage – back to the workshop, we assume. Or a dumpster.
