Raibo2 traversed the challenging 26.2 miles (42.195 km) course in just over four hours, showcasing extraordinary endurance. The marathon presented significant difficulties, including steep hills and variable terrains, yet Raibo2 managed to finish the race on a single battery charge.
While it only ran half as fast as the winning human, that is still really good, moving at over 5mph which by anyone’s standards is faster than walking and is at least jogging.
Perhaps the most amazing aspect of this, aside from reliability and and being able to negotiate the course, is that is managed it on a single battery charge.
Imagine even more advanced technology where it can deliver a payload, just by giving it the address. Presumably being electric means running costs could be low.
When you consider that a lot of technology already exists, and Tesla can outsource/poach people/buy companies to get it, they are not going to be a problem.
Here’s what is good:
Scale – this is perhaps the first attempt to create robots at the same scale as cars. That means they will be cheaper, Musk says around $20K.
Efficiency – this is massive. SpaceX came from Musk’s ability to make rockets more efficient and that is a key aspect of Optimus. A huge hurdle for all robots is carrying the battery they need. Efficiency pays off in magnitudes.
Form factor is humanoid – this has mostly been avoided by competitors because smaller and having wheels is more efficient. But a humanoid robot has two key plusses – people are perhaps more likely to buy one, and they can operate anything designed for humans (basically, everything). The idea is that the robot can step into existing systems.
This could be a popular product but not a dominant one. Legged robots will not carry your groceries to the car or deliver pizza. They will not be used by the military. They will not be security guards or warehouse workers. They will not be the cheapest.
No pricing yet… it comes from Boston Dynamics of course (who else makes packhorses?)
It can go up to 30 kph, which for me means there is an obvious use that is not mentioned. It can trundle along behind your bicycle or electric scooter.
It looks nimble but it does weigh 50kg. The battery is big enough for it to operate for up to 4 hours.
In terms of looks and actions, this is brilliant, and presumably it will one day talk as well. The voice will be interesting, because Ameca is purposefully race and gender neutral.
When you consider all the robots that get one aspect correct – AI, human-like, bipedal, fast, fine coordination – imagine when all are combined!
This hybrid doesn’t have a lot of purpose, but is being used for research:
The idea is that it can walk on two legs, but when it comes across difficult terrain it can fly.
It doesn’t look like it can carry anything, and it would appear that this version does nothing a simple drone cannot do. I would expect a flying drone uses less power to travel the same distance.
Still, unique! And it can balance in precarious situations, so we might end up seeing rotors on ground-based robots one day to provide extra stability.
Running is more like brisk walking, which is fine and safer. Story here.
The key here is that the robot was untethered – the battery that powers it was carried. That means on one charge such a robot can make deliveries of light objects to neighbouring suburbs. That it then needs a recharge is not an issue – swap batteries or just wait, robots aren’t paid by the hour.
Expect a mix of delivery bots in the future. Wheels are more efficient if the terrain allows it, let’s call them Rollers. And we will have Runners that can cope with other scenarios, and take shortcuts, and climb stairs. Don’t be surprised if both types are speed limited to 5kph. For more urgent deliveries we will have self-driving cars, we could call them Rapids. They could rendezvous with the other bots. For example, an apartment building could have its own Rollers or Runners that meet the Rapid on the street and take over the delivery.
Because of the many scenarios that non-human deliveries can involve, the winner won’t be the robot manufacturers, but the logistics company that controls the network of cars and robots. One network will be more efficient than many, and first-mover advantage could be enough to get to that monopoly. Code costs nothing to run, but it will need human oversight, especially for manually guiding cars and bots that get stuck, and protecting them from bot-haters and thieves. A single network would mean that stolen bots have no value elsewhere.
Tip: invest in the first company in each country that looks like pulling off such a network venture.
Like all robot prototypes, these are externally powered. Carrying a battery and payload and steering them are all big obstacles. But, they are fast and squishy!
And, as noted, they could be used for information reconnaissance
Until now such miniature drones were unable to carry the battery needed to power them. Not any more! Unleash the miniature drones that are too small to spot.
It early days though. The power comes from a laser beam, so when the photo-voltaic cell is can not be hit by the beam, the power stops. A new form of energy will be needed for them to be truly useful.
It’s not your walking, talking type of robot. But it does one thing very well and could end up being in a lot of homes.
Caia sits in one place (outside or by a window) and turns a mirror so that sunlight is always being reflected into the same part of the same room all day. It is solar powered and weatherproof. All you need to do is buy it for $229 and spend 1 minute setting it up.
Then your gloomy room will be filled with natural light, forever.
