Author: bobrobot

The Parkour Robot?

Not really, but still, perhaps, more so than any robot so far.

I really like the idea of robots entering dangerous places, like in an earthquake disaster, instead of humans, and this robot fits the bill.

This is the ANYmal from ETH Zurich

Tesla’s Optimus is Good?

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.

A flying/walking robot

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.

Long Distance Runner

OK, long distance = 5kms.

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.

Mini Drones Are Here

A drone around double the size of a fly.

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.

Interestingly they use wings instead of rotors.

Story:
https://www.washington.edu/news/2018/05/15/robofly/

 

Solar Mirror Robot

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.