We cannot yet create humanoid robots (androids) that will be indistinguishable from biological people, but that does not mean that we are not trying. Here are ten real-life robots that are helping us reach this futuristic milestone. To create an “ideal” humanoid robot, a machine must have three qualities: it must look, move, and act like a human. So far, there is no robot that has fulfilled these three conditions, and we are still far from the arrival of the sinister valley of androids.
Nevertheless, there are robots that fulfill or meet at least one or two of these criteria quite well. Eventually, robotics will combine their expertise and produce the first generation of super-realistic humanoids. Together, these ten robots bring us closer to our cherished goal.
PETMAN
Developed by Boston Dynamics (with a little, um, help from the US Department of Defense), this absurdly realistic humanoid robot is being used to test protective clothing. Sensors in PETMAN's faux leather can detect any chemical seeping through the suit, and its high-tech skin mimics the human physiology inside the suit by producing sweat and regulating temperature.
This suit will eventually be worn by emergency workers, so PETMAN is tested under the harshest conditions, as they say, to the limit. The new and improved model of the robot can balance independently and move freely, walk, bend and so on. This is an interesting and very realistic robot, but also quite frightening.
Promotional video:
Junko Chihira
Junko Chihira's trilingual android is being developed by Toshiba. Unlike PETMAN and many of the other robots on this list, she's not the most flexible android in the world, but she has incredible interaction skills and can also make very human-like facial expressions. She now works at the Tokyo Waterfront Tourist Information Center, where she greets visitors in Japanese, English and Chinese.
Junko Chihira incorporates Toshiba's speech synthesis technology, which allows her to speak three languages. Its developers would like to equip it with speech recognition technology later this year so that it can answer tourists' questions. Currently, the only way to interact with it is through the keyboard.
SCHAFT bipedal robot
Getting robots to walk firmly and confidently on two legs was extremely difficult for engineers and researchers. The SCHAFT bipedal robot shows that a torso is not required for some tasks. This sturdy, stocky robot is already doing quite useful work, but, in addition, it may one day lead to the emergence of flexible humanoid robots.
In general, not much is known about the Japanese robotics startup SCHAFT, it was acquired by Google in 2014 and is now part of the company's experimental technology lab. After a three-year hiatus, SCHAFT unveiled an unnamed and unusual-looking bipedal robot at the 2016 NEST in Tokyo.
This machine was created as an inexpensive, low-power and compact device for "helping society". Awkward in appearance, this robot can carry up to 60 kilograms, move over rough terrain and up stairs - many robots cannot. Whether this machine will be able to perform the same tasks with a head and torso is still unknown, but, as this robot shows, some tasks do not require specific body parts.
Erica and Geminoid DK
Erika is the brainchild of Hiroshi Ishiguro, director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at Osaka University in Japan. Ishiguro is known for his super-realistic humanoid robots (including his Geminoid HI-4 counterpart), but Erica, in addition to his human appearance, also knows how to interact with his human companions through voice recognition, movement tracking and generation of natural movements.
Endowed with 19 degrees of freedom (a degree of freedom is one physical movement, such as turning the neck or lifting the hand), Erica can move her facial muscles, neck, shoulders and waist. She speaks in a synthesized voice and can demonstrate multiple facial expressions and gestures.
Geminoid DK is another robot designed by Ishiguro in an attempt to conquer the sinister valley. Introduced in 2011, the robot was designed similar to the robotics of Henrik Scharfe of Aalborg University in Denmark. Geminoid DK cost $ 200,000 to design and build, but it's well worth it. On the first meeting, few can immediately realize that they are looking at a robot's face. A hyper-realistic robot is being used to study our emotional responses to androids that are similar to real people.
ATLAS Unplugged
This DARPA robot collected all the laurels in the nomination "the robot that is likely to destroy humanity", and then went through a major upgrade, as a result of which it was redone by 75%. Now it's ATLAS Unplugged, more energy efficient, strong, nimble and quieter than its awkward predecessor. And now he doesn't need a stupid seat belt, which is worst of all.
The robot is 1.88 meters long and weighs 156 kilograms and is equipped with the latest battery pack (which it carries on its back), which provides increased efficiency and energy storage on board. ATLAS Unplugged is equipped with three onboard computers, which it uses to perceive and plan tasks. The wireless router in his head provides wireless connectivity. Fortunately, this monster is equipped with a switch.
One of the future versions of ATLAS can be used as an assistant for soldiers on the battlefield or as a rescue worker in dangerous situations. One day, when a truly realistic human robot is created, we will remember ATLAS as an important predecessor.
Nadine
Developed by researchers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Nadine is a social robot that integrates artificial intelligence systems and super-realistic physical traits to achieve the best possible effect. "Nadine" uses natural hand gestures and head movements during conversation, and her mouth moves to the beat of her conversation (albeit not very well). It provides a great example of how artificial intelligence and robotics can do something completely human together.
Modeled after branch director Nadia Magnenat Thalmann, “Nadine” smiles when she is greeted and looks people in the eye as she talks to her. Remarkably, she uses facial recognition software to remember people she meets and even recalls previous conversations. “Nadine” can be happy or sad depending on what is said and show her own traits and emotions. Nadine runs software like Apple's Siri or Microsoft's Cortana, and will eventually be used as a personal assistant in the home or office.
REEM-C
REEM-C is a humanoid robot prototype developed by the Spanish PAL Robotics. The two-meter, 80-kilogram robot proportionally resembles a human, but has very interesting capabilities.
The REEM-C head has two degrees of freedom and is equipped with a stereo camera, LEDs for mouth representation and speakers for speaking. His arms with seven degrees of freedom allow him to hold about 8 kilograms above his head. Human-like hands have three degrees of freedom and are equipped with pressure sensors for tactile feedback. REEM legs with six degrees of freedom allow it to move at a speed of 1.5 kilometers per hour. In total, this robot has 22 degrees of freedom - quite a lot by modern standards.
Instead of a brain, REEM-C has a couple of i7-based computers running Ubuntu. The robot's sensors help it navigate its environment, avoid obstacles and people. Its designers see him as a home robot, guide, entertainer or security guard. REEM-C is still in the prototype stage and is a little awkward for now, but already surprising with its features.
Romeo
Romep, a 55-inch tall android robot, was developed by the French company Aldebaran Robotics to help people, such as the elderly, who have lost their physical autonomy. Romeo's size and physical capabilities allow him to open doors, climb stairs, and grab items from tables. Its developers express the hope that one day the robot will be able to transport objects, including humans.
The Romeo project currently includes five institutes, 13 robotics laboratories and 80 engineers and researchers. Romeo is not the most realistic robot on this list, but its physical movements are beautiful and even a little creepy. He moves his arms almost perfectly, so that it seems as if a real child is sitting inside him and controlling his movements.
OceanOne
This waterfowl android is one of the most innovative robots we've seen in recent memory. He can swim at depths that traditional human divers cannot reach.
Developed at Stanford University's Artificial Intelligence Lab, OceanOne is equipped with sensitive hands that transmit tactile feedback, allowing the navigator to feel the robot's touch. The robot was created to explore coral reefs in the Red Sea, where conventional autonomous submersibles risk damaging the delicate structures of the seabed. Because the robot is human-like and controlled by human movements, it can analyze coral reefs with scrupulousness and delicacy.
However, OceanOne can do more than just explore corals. During its first mission, the robot dived for treasure in the wreck of a ship off the coast of France and worked at a depth of 100 meters. He even managed to get a grapefruit-sized vase and haul it onto the deck of the research vessel. OceanOne lacks a lower body, but robots like it help us integrate human traits and movements into other robots. Equipped with artificial intelligence and the necessary physical skills, versions of the future will be able to operate without any human intervention.
ASIMO
Last but not least, ASIMO is a very famous Honda robot. ASIMO will be 17 years old this year, but despite such a "young" age, this android has come a long way of development and improvement.
ASIMO is lighter and smaller than its predecessors, allowing it to move around with extra grace and agility. The robot can lift the sealed juice container, unscrew the lid, take the cup in the other hand, pour in the juice, and gently place the cup and container back on the table. To make this possible, Honda has equipped ASIMO with sensors that allow the robot to sense an object and its weight. ASIMO remains one of the most technologically advanced robots on the planet today.
On a separate line: DRC-HUBO
Developed by the KAIST team in South Korea, this robot managed to win the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge in Pomona, California. DRC-HUBO knocked out 22 other robots from the competition, winning the main prize of $ 2 million, but his "transformer" skill, in my opinion, was not very honest and not very android. However, it is certainly worth mentioning. It has wheels in its lap, allowing it to overcome a range of challenges faced by real bipedal robots.
During the competition, the robot completed all eight tasks in the shortest possible time: opened the door and equipped it with a drill, while avoiding a bunch of catastrophic falls, unlike its competitors. Yes, it's not an android, but it's still an engineering feat.
One thing is clear: Robotics are slowly but surely overcoming the technological barriers required to create a believable humanoid robot. Someday such a robot will be developed. As for whether he will be conscious, emotional and reflective as a human being, that is a completely different question.
ILYA KHEL