If you’re anything like us, you probably can’t wait for the day you can go to the store and easily (and cheaply) buy a robot to clean your house, wait on you and do whatever you want.
We know that day is a long way off, but technology is getting better all the time. In fact, some high-tech companies have already developed some pretty impressive robots that make us feel like the future is here already. These robots aren’t super-intelligent androids or anything - but hey, baby steps.
We’ve rounded up real-life robots you can check out right now, with the purpose of getting you excited for the robots of tomorrow.
This is a robot that looks like a bear that’s designed to help lift elderly patients from their beds into a wheelchair.
Robear is a high-tech teddy designed to lift an elderly patient from a bed into a wheelchair.
Robear comes from Toshiharu Mukai, a scientist who leads the Robot Sensor Systems Research Team at the Riken-SRK Collaboration Center for Human-Interactive Robot Research. Robear is the team’s third robot bear.
Read more:Riken (source)
Spot is just one of many different robots created by Boston Dynamics.
Spot is just one of many different robots created by Boston Dynamics. He’s smaller than the first-generation LS3 Big Dog, but just as capable.
Spot is a 73kg electrically-powered and hydraulically-actuated robot that can walk, trot, climb, and take a kick and stay standing. Here’s hoping Google adapts it for use by everyone soon.
Read more:Boston Dynamics' new robo-dog Spot is more of a pup, small but strong
Xiaomi CyberDog
If you like the look of Spot but want something more affordable then you’ll like the look of the Xiaomi CyberDog.
This is a quadruped robot capable of moving as fast as 3.2 meters per second. It’s capable of object motion tracking, creating real-time maps, avoiding obstacles as it moves and more.
CyberDog is powered by Nvidia’s Jetson Xavier A.I. platform so it’s got some serious intelligence under the hood too.Yours for just 9,999 Chinese yuan(about $1,540).
A bird-legged drone
Stanford engineers have developed a new robot with features inspired by a bird that include claws, curling toes and bendable legs.
Thepublished researchshows a botthat’s able to land like a bird on branches and other surfaces. This will certainly make it easier for future drones and robots to land. And in more places too.
Henn na Hotel
A hotel in southwestern Japan, called Weird Hotel, is staffed almost totally by robots to save labor costs.
The hotel is called Henn na Hotel in Japanese and was shown to reporters, complete with robot demonstrations. One feature demoed was the use of facial recognition instead of e-keys during check-in. An interesting view of the future?
Read more:Henn na Hotel (source)
Stripper bots
At the 2014 CeBIT expo in Hanover, German software developer Tobit had a booth showcasing two pole dancing robots and a robot DJ with a megaphone for a head. The two bots could dance in time to the music.
Read more:Ruptly TV (YouTube video)
Ava Robotics
Here’s a robot we can all get behind. One that helps with remote working while allowing you to communicate easily with colleagues.
Ava Robotics has designed a robot that allows workers to easily move around a remote location as if they were really there.
This robot combines high definition video conferencing technology with robotic mobility allowing remote workers to communicate easily with their colleagues too.
Sofia is a humanoid-like robot that’s capable of holding a conversation. She might be one of the most well-known robots around.
Sofia is a humanoid-like robot that’s capable of holding a conversation. This robot has appeared in several high-profile interviews and appearances - includinga spot on the Jimmy Fallon show.
Sofia is also unusual in that she’s been given official citizenship in Saudi Arabia and the United Nations title of “Innovation Champion”.
Sofia is capable of answering a multitude of questions and is learning too. Is she a vision of the future?
ASIMO can recognise the faces and voices and is even able to accurately predict what you’ll do next.
ASIMO is a humanoid robot that Honda has been developing for over a decade. It features hand dexterity as well as the ability to run fast, hop, jump, run backward, and climb and descend stairs. ASIMO can also recognise the faces and voices of multiple people speaking and can accurately predict what you’ll do next.
Read more:Honda’s latest ASIMO robot can now run 5.6 mph and even predict your behaviour
RoBoHon is a smartphone disguised as a robot. The little robot works as a normal phone, with a screen for a belly, but also does more.
The bot can move and talk for call alerts and more. It even has a projector in its face so it can lean forward and project larger images on surfaces. This could be useful for viewing photos, following a recipe or simply as a novel hands-free option.
