Tag Archives: Robot Designs

This NASA-backed humanoid robot may be your new best friend that will help you lift boxes

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How you feel about humanoid robots probably depends on what sci-fi and futuristic movies and TV shows you watched. As someone who considers Battlestar Galactica to be one of the best TV shows of all time, the idea of robots that are almost human scares the heck out of me. Of course the age of robot overlords is probably still a few decades away (or so we think) so for now, we can see these robots as things that can help make our workload easier. So if you’ve been wanting to have a robot officemate, this new NASA-backed robot might show up in your office one of these days.

Designer: Apptronik and Argodesign

Apollo 1 is the first of its kind as it can function on its own in a factory alongside its human counterparts. It is able to lift 55-pound boxes, load and unload them from conveyor belts, place items on shelves, and other lifting and carrying tasks. In terms of how it looks, they wanted to go for something that would not frighten their human co-workers but also not so far from the human experience. They designed something that’s not trying to look human but still feels humanistic. They wanted people like me who are hung up on the sci-fi looks of robots and who are afraid of uncanny valley feels to not feel threatened.

The Apollo 1 is made of metal, plastic, metal actuators, and silver woven fabric, the latter to give the machine a softer appearance and cover up some of the mechanical parts. Its “suit” is white, gray, and orange with its name “Charlie” tattooed on its chest. It doesn’t speak and can only communicate through an OLED screen that is turned off most of the time. It will only “talk” through the e-paper screen to share important information like battery level, current task, or to answer a question. It can also show simple messages and even “emotions and intentions”.

In case you’re looking for some “emotion” from the humanoid robot, it’s programmed to subtly “smile” if a human co-worker passes by. I don’t know if that’s a good thing, at least not for me. From the video shown above, it does have a bit of dexterity and flexibility, although there’s still a lot of room for improvement in terms of its movement and even its design. The creators say that the level of control and responsiveness from its electrical parts, as well as the swappable batteries, makes it stand out from competitors like the Atlas and Optimus.

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Xiaomi’s CyberOne robot is here to take us into the future, beating Tesla’s humanoid

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One of my favorite TV shows is Battlestar Galactica. The major storyline in this series is the uprising of the cylons or a race of humanoid robots. Back in the 80s when the original one first came out and even in the early 2000s when the revival arrived, the idea of robots overthrowing humans was nightmarish but still far away. But if you read the news now with well, smarter, artificial intelligence and companies keep trying to create robots, it doesn’t seem to be so far away.

Designer: Xiaomi

The Chinese brand Xiaomi seems to want to bring about the robot vs human wars ever closer to this generation. They have now created a humanoid robot called CyberOne whose main goal is to try and make friends with actual humans, in case said humans may be in need of AI-based friends. It is a 177 centimeters high and 52 kilos heavy robot which means it’s almost 2 feet taller than me. You know I’ll be running far, far away if I see this creature approaching.

But for those who may not be afraid of humanoid robots, it seems pretty impressive in terms of its powerful motors and biped controls which can respond in real-time. The good news is that they made the robot to look like an actual robot and not to look like a human which is creepier. You get a white toros and limbs while the joints and the face have darker black and gray colors. What makes this robot more interesting is that it has a Mi-Sense depth vision module and of course, AI interaction technology.

These technologies lets the robot understand and move around 3D space and also recognize not just people but also their gestures and expressions. It is programmed to detect 45 different kinds of emotions and 85 kinds of environmental sounds. This means it is able to process its environment including the people that they may be interacting with. Xiaomi believes that intelligent robots are part of our future so let’s just hope that they will not overthrow us and become our overlords.

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This automated wall-climbing robot was designed by Hausbots to streamline home-construction projects

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HB1 is an automated wall-climbing robot that was designed to streamline home construction projects.

No matter the size, location, style, or chosen building material–when it comes to constructing houses, it can be a dangerous job. Even with bulky construction vehicles, building homes requires a lot of finesse and attention. As our technological worlds evolve, so do our tools and that includes those used for home construction. Home-building robotics company Hausbots developed an automated, climbing construction robot called HB1 to help get home projects done.

Designed with patent-pending wall climbing technology, HB1 hosts an entirely unique technical system that allows it to scale rough surfaces, overcome obstacles, and safely contribute to home-building. Finished with a payload of 6KG, HB1’s integrated technological system can streamline construction projects such as painting, HD visual inspection, as well as building processes. Hausbots outfitted HB1 42 KG of suction force, which allows the four-wheeled robot to scale vertical surfaces as far as 30m from ground level. HB1 can even climb vertical surfaces that are not totally flat as well, including columns, tanks, and corrugated terrain.

Ensuring HB1 steady movement up and down vertical walls, Hausbots crafted a chassis that creates high-speed airflow that converges with low pressure to generate downforce, allowing it to scale buildings of any size and height. In fact, if builders connect HB1 to a tether from the top of a building’s roof, there is no limit to the robot’s climbing range. For building projects that might call for dangerous jobs, such as painting the eaves of homes or replacing roof shingles, HB1’s built-in robotics serve to speed up the process and ensure a smooth landing.

Designer: Hausbots

HB1 features a four-wheeled build with 42KG suction force.

Featuring a 6KG pay load, HB1 can carry various loads to streamline home projects.

HB1 can climb any radius, including columnar structures.

When tethered to the roof, there is no limit to HB1’s climbing range.

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Intriguing and Inventive Robot Designs that prove artificial intelligence is here to stay + make the world a better place!

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Artificial Intelligence has catapulted in recent years, and the advancements being made in this field make me feel as if it won’t be long before we have robots walking amongst us all the time! There was a point in time when the only forms of robots that we could see were toys or vacuum cleaners, or if we were lucky an AI-enabled lawnmower in some tech-trendy individual’s backyard! But we have come a long long way since then. From a basketball-playing Japanese robot at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics to a Microsoft-powered robot that cleans up littered cigarette butts on the beach – the potential and scope of robots grow exponentially day by day. The world at large is slowly moving away from the perception of robots as evil beings who want to take over the Earth, and accepting that they may have vast and undeniable utility in even our day-to-day lives. Whether programmed for fun or functionality, robots are always intriguing to watch and examine! And, we’ve curated some really innovative ones that completely blew our minds away!

At the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, world-class athletes were showcasing their talent, but a robot stole all the limelight during a basketball game between the U.S. and France. Demonstrating the early stages of the machine-dominated dystopian future, the seven-foot robot developed by Toyota engineers scored a perfect three-pointer and half-court shot. The eerily designed robot took to the center stage at halftime break during a showdown game.  The Toyota engineers created this free throw shooting robot in their free time over the last couple of years – and at the game – the smart machine beat human players shot for shot. It perfectly landed an easy free throw, a three-pointer, and a flawless half-court shot (just like Stephen Curry) in tandem to wow the crowd!

In collaboration with OTTOBO Robotics, product and car designer Berk Kaplan developed a concept design for a task robot that integrates smart technology to streamline ergonomics and package-carrying flexibility. During the beginning stage of the concept design phase, Kaplan first conducted his own research to settle on the overall mood and personality of the robot. Following the research period, Kaplan sat down to sketch outlines of his robot in development, toying around with practical elements and aesthetic touches. The first proposal envisioned the robot with both a hard outer shell and inner core, giving it a tough, hardworking personality and weighty body. Where the first proposal found durability in a tough exterior and interior, the third proposal from Kaplan wrapped the robot in a soft outer shell to cover the robot’s soft interior core. The second proposal, which Kaplan and OTTOBO Robotics ultimately chose as the concept design’s final form, conceived the robot with a soft outer shell and hard inner core for a cushioned tactile experience, outfitting the robot with a friendly and approachable disposition.

Xiaomi, a Chinese tech company, recently unveiled more 3D renders of their own Quadruped robotic creation, CyberDog. Currently, the bio-inspired, four-legged robot has been engineered as a robotic companion whose future technical capabilities are still in development. In a recent press release from Xiaomi, it’s said that CyberDog comes complete with “AI interactive cameras [and sensors], binocular ultra-wide-angle fisheye cameras, and Intel ® RealSense™ D450 Depth module, and can be trained with its computer vision algorithm.”

Oliver is a collaborative robot that can operate both automated and manual delivery services. Smart technology equips Oliver with the know-how to handle autonomous delivery outings most likely contained within indoor spaces like warehouses and office buildings. Goods can be placed inside of Oliver the same way items are carried by utility carts and additional packages can be attached to Oliver’s rear trailer. Once the goods are packed away, a touchscreen display allows users to orient Oliver and schedule their deliveries. The vertical carrying space automatically rises at each delivery destination to make the unloading process more manageable. Besides automated delivery services, Oliver can operate as a conventional utility cart if users would prefer to deliver their goods on foot.

This robot may look like the Mars rover, but it’s a unique cigarette bud collecting bot designed to clean up the litter on beaches. Called the BeachBot (BB), this cute little four-wheeled machine was developed by Edwin Bos and Martijn Lukaart of TechTics. The duo got livid with the amount of trash (cigarette butts in particular) on the Scheveningen Beach in Holland and wanted to design a robot that could help clean up the mess. That’s how the 2.5-feet wide BeachBot came into existence, looking to navigate the beaches on its bloated wheels that don’t create any marks on the sand. The battery-powered bot has an AI brain that uses image-detection software to identify the butts and then pick them up with its gripper arms. The collected trash is then stored in the onboard compartment to dispose of later.

The KODA Robot Dog holds the title for being the first high-end domestic robot-dog running on a decentralized blockchain network, with its ‘own brain’ – an 11 teraflop processor capable of A.I. machine-learning. The dog-type quadruped robot relied on a decentralized network to share data and optimize behavior, making all KODA dogs smarter by relying on a hive-mind of sorts. “For example, a KODA dog in Phoenix can use the knowledge it automatically receives from other KODAs that are based in colder climates, like Anchorage, Alaska or Toronto, Canada”, Harden mentions to Yanko Design. “Without ever having set foot on ice, the KODA in Phoenix will learn how to avoid slipping. This includes warning its owner as well.” Armed with that incredibly powerful software, Whipsaw’s design took an interesting-yet-logical decision of ensuring the KODA robot dog (as intelligent and capable as it was) still retained a friendly, cute demeanor.

Keunwook Kim designed Post-Plant, a collection of non-humanoid robots that respond to and move through non-verbal, physical interaction. Following a period of researching how humans can read emotion from non-verbal cues, Kim gathered that arousal (dynamic energy), valence (intrinsic attractiveness), and stance (visual disposition) can each be interpreted as signs for emotional analysis. Applying this information to Post-Plant, Kim’s non-humanoid robots do not express emotion through facial expression, but through movement and changing forms. Built into each one of his Post-Plant robots, Kim incorporated a motor interface that combines an input and output system, registering when the robot is touched and responding with movement.

Imagine if R2-D2 got a 2021 makeover? Well, BEBOP Design did something like that…they took the concept and gave it a sleek makeover to give us all Information Robot! This is an autonomous robot designed specifically for the Korean startup Zetabank that aims to make human lives safer and healthier with the help of robots. Zetabank has a range of robots and this is their second collaboration with BEBOP. The company’s mission is to improve our lives using artificial intelligence. Their Disinfectant Robot, Hospitality Robot, and Untact Robot are all designed keeping in mind how they can maximize utility and bring practicality to make our day-to-day more efficient. Continuing that legacy is Information Robot which is created as a service platform for digital interactions building upon the Hospitality Robot’s intelligence. These digital interactions are enhanced by the robot’s autonomous movement in various commercial and residential spaces.

Eggo’s mission is simple – to give you a robot pet that is always by your side and provides a positive experience to you. This egg-shaped companion lets you raise a pet online or offline without taking away from the experience. It has a simple design, minimal interface, and an organic shape that invites interaction. Eggo moves autonomously by grasping the terrain through a camera. The smart pet also automatically goes to charge itself when the battery is low and I honestly wish my phone did the same thing. Even though it is a robot, designer Hyunjae Tak made sure to include an emotional side so Eggo can express how it is ‘feeling’ through the LED colors which are extremely important when interacting with children. It uses the inner wheel to move on its own and actually forms a unique personality according to how you take care of it just as you would with a real-life pet!

This gadget can be fixed to the wearer’s forehead, who is too busy looking down at the smartphone. You know where we are heading, don’t you? Yes, the 3rd Eye keeps a lookout on obstacles as you walk on the street, with the phone screen keeping you preoccupied. The inbuilt ultrasonic sensor automatically detects whenever your head is tilted down to check the phone and beeps a warning buzz when a hazard is detected up to a distance of one meter. This niche creation is a part of Minwook’s Innovation Design Engineering degree at London’s Royal Imperial College of Art and Imperial College. The designer sees this evolution of human beings as a sarcastic imagination for him to do something creative. He labels the evolution as “phono sapiens,” and understandably so, seeing how we are so deeply lost in the world of the internet. How do you identify a phono sapien? With their forward-leaning neck vertebrae resulting in the dreaded turtle neck syndrome!