By now, most of us are probably familiar with the SpotMini robot from Boston Dynamics. The SpotMini has been the subject of quite a few videos where Boston Dynamics flexes its robotics know-how, but the video that was published today is quite unlike any other we've seen so far. In it, we get to watch the SpotMini dance to "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars.
Boston Dynamics has published another video showcasing its Atlas robot and the new skills it has acquired. This video, simply called "Parkour Atlas," shows the company's Atlas robot perform a fairly basic parkour activity -- quickly ascending three large steps -- with a level of agility that is life-like.
Sony's aibo is back, and after more than a decade the robotic dog is smarter, more talented, and generally more adorable than ever. Now promising to be more lifelike and to tap into the potential of the cloud, aibo's 2018 return is a long way from the original, faintly-Terminator-esque robots that first introduced the name back in 1999. What hasn't changed, though, is the premium price tag, or indeed the suspension of disbelief required to truly understand the aibo experience.
Japan is big on robots and robot research with some of the bots being aimed directly at hobbyists and home use and others being serious R&D platforms. A new bot out of Japan is called the HRP-5P and this is a serious R&D robot that aims to do the same sort of work as humans. The goal of the robot is to replace humans in labor work and in dangerous work environments.
There's a new robot vacuum in town, and it's only the second Dyson's ever made. This is the Dyson 360 Heurist, and it can see in the dark. It's got LED-assisted vision and it's smarter than its predecessor by a significant margin. This robot can be monitored from its companion app - and it can be controlled by voice assistant, dependent on region.
Earlier this year, insurance company Aflac introduced a robot designed to comfort children undergoing extensive medical treatments. Called the "My Special Aflac Duck," the device is exactly what it sounds like: a robot shaped like a duck, which is fitted with a soft pelt and paired with large tokens that control its mood. Now, months later, Aflac has started deploying its therapy duck in hospitals around the US.
Years ago, the word “robot” would evoke images of perhaps clunky metallic automatons, mostly in humanoid shape. These days, “bots” can mean anything from that to chatbots to, well, wearable robots. LG is definitely stretching the definition of a robot with the LG CLOi SuitBot a machine that looks more like the lower half of a futuristic exosuit. And since they say form follows function, that’s exactly what it is, with a pinch of AI, of course.
Mayfield Robotics, the startup which aimed to put a friendly robot, Kuri, in the home, will shut down be the end of October 2018. The news comes as little surprise, after the Bosch Startup Platform-backed 'bot-maker announced it had halted production back in July.
Neato has released a software update for its Botvac D7 Connected smart vacuum, adding a pair of major new features. The vacuum itself is already available to purchase for $799 USD; existing owners will soon see an update notification from the mobile app. After updating, the Botvac D7 Connected will be able to learn the layout of more than one floor in the owner's home, as well as intelligently boost its charge to finish a job.
OpenAI has a robotic humanoid hand called Dactyl that it has trained entirely via simulation and has been able to transfer that simulation knowledge into the real world. Dactyl can adapt to real-world physics using techniques that OpenAI has been working on for the last 12 months. Dactyl uses the same general-purpose reinforcement learning algorithm and code as OpenAI Five.
Mayfield Robotics, the startup developing the companion 'bot Kuri, has halted operations, another fatality in the tough home robotics space. The company, part of the Bosch Startup Platform, announced the news today, along with confirming that all pre-order deposits that had been placed for the robot will be refunded.
MIT has a new robot that researchers have been working on that could prove very useful in a disaster zone or environment that is inaccessible to humans. These same environments could likely have very low visibility meaning that cameras and visual sensors on the bot would be of little or no use. MIT's Cheetah 3 robot can climb stairs without the aid of any visual sensors or cameras.