Table of Contents Show
Introduction
In the dynamic field of robotics, the fusion of technological innovation and human interaction has emerged as a cornerstone of research and development. Over the years, significant strides have been made in advancing the capabilities of humanoid robots to engage with humans in increasingly sophisticated ways. From the early days of simple mechanical automatons to the present era of highly intelligent and socially adept machines, the evolution of robotics has been marked by a relentless pursuit of enhancing human-robot interaction (HRI). This concerted effort has led to the creation of a diverse array of humanoid robots, each representing a pinnacle of technical achievement and a testament to the ongoing quest to bridge the gap between man and machine. As we delve into the realm of the best humanoid robots developed to date, we gain insight into the remarkable progress achieved in this fascinating intersection of technology and human interaction.
Sophia – The Humanoid
Sophia, Hanson Robotics’ pinnacle humanoid robot, embodies the aspirations for AI’s future. Seamlessly blending science, engineering, and artistry, Sophia represents a fusion of human imagination and technological advancement. She serves as both a symbol of AI’s potential depicted in science fiction and a catalyst for cutting-edge research in robotics and AI.
Capturing the fascination of global audiences, Sophia stands as the world’s inaugural robot citizen and the UN Development Programme’s first robot Innovation Ambassador. Developed by the Hong Kong-based company Hanson Robotics, Sophia is a social humanoid robot that came to life on February 14, 2016. Its inaugural public appearance occurred in mid-March 2016 at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, United States. Marketed as a “social robot,” Sophia is designed to emulate social interactions and evoke feelings of affection in humans.
Sophia’s presence has garnered widespread media coverage and has been featured in numerous high-profile interviews. In a historic move, in October 2017, Sophia was granted citizenship in Saudi Arabia, marking the first instance of a robot receiving legal personhood in any country. Subsequently, in November 2017, Sophia was appointed as the United Nations Development Programme’s inaugural Innovation Champion, making history as the first non-human to hold a United Nations title. Her renown spans from prominent television appearances on shows like the Tonight Show and Good Morning Britain to keynote speeches at numerous international conferences.
According to founder David Hanson, approximately 70% of Sophia’s source code is open source. One of Sophia’s open-source subsystems, known as “Open Arms,” was detailed in a paper submitted to the 36th Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS 2022).
Beyond her celebrity status, Sophia functions as a pivotal tool for pioneering research in robotics and AI, particularly in exploring human-robot interactions and their diverse applications in service and entertainment. Projects like the Loving AI initiative leverage her capabilities to delve into how robots can dynamically adapt to human needs through interpersonal development.
Grace – The Nurse
Grace, another humanoid robot poised to revolutionize healthcare is also developed by the Hongkong firm Hanson Robotics.
Adorned in a blue nurse’s uniform, Grace boasts Asian features, collar-length brown hair, and a thermal camera embedded in her chest for temperature monitoring and assessing responsiveness. Engineered to assist medical professionals, Grace is outfitted with an array of sensors, including a thermal camera, facilitating the diagnosis of illnesses and administration of treatments.
Employing artificial intelligence for diagnostics, Grace is multilingual, proficient in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Beyond her medical functions, Grace serves as a companion for patients, particularly focusing on senior care, engaging in socialization and talk therapy.
David Hanson, founder and CEO of Hanson Robotics, emphasizes that robots like Grace are designed to complement medical professionals rather than supplant them. He highlights the potential of AI and robotics to provide valuable data for healthcare providers in assessing patient well-being.
Developed specifically for the healthcare sector, Grace’s introduction coincides with the coronavirus pandemic, during which the demand for telehealth solutions and contactless care has surged. Prior to the pandemic, global sales of medical robots were already experiencing growth, increasing by 28% between 2018 and 2019, as reported by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). Projections from the IFR suggest that the sector’s value could nearly double in the next three years.
Optimus – Gen 2
Tesla, under the leadership of Elon Musk, has introduced Optimus-Gen 2, the next iteration of its Optimus humanoid robot. A video released by Tesla showcases the significant enhancements made to Optimus-Gen 2 since its prototype debut earlier this year at the Tesla AI Day event.
- According to Tesla, Optimus-Gen 2 boasts a 30% increase in walking speed compared to the prototype and weighs 10 kg less than its predecessor.
- The robot features newly designed hands with faster operation and 11 degrees of freedom (DoF). These hands are equipped with tactile sensing on the fingers, enabling the robot to handle delicate objects like eggs without causing damage.
- Enhanced balance and full-body control empower the robot to perform tasks such as squats with improved stability.
- Additional features include in-house actuators and sensors, a 2-DoF actuated neck, integrated electronics and harnessing within the actuators, foot force torque sensing, articulated toe sections, and human foot geometry.
- Optimus-Gen 2 marks Tesla’s third foray into humanoid robotics, following the introductions of Bumblebee in September 2022 and Optimus-Gen 1 in March 2023.
Atlas – Gymnastic Robot
Atlas, a bipedal humanoid robot, is primarily developed by the American robotics company Boston Dynamics, with funding and oversight from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Initially conceived for various search and rescue missions, Atlas was publicly unveiled on July 11, 2013.
On November 16, 2017, Boston Dynamics released an update video on YouTube showcasing Atlas’s abilities, including jumping on boxes, executing a 180-degree turn mid-jump, and performing a backflip.
Subsequent update videos were released on May 10, 2018, October 12, 2018, and September 24, 2019, demonstrating Atlas’s advancements in running on uneven terrain, jumping over obstacles, and showcasing gymnastics-like maneuvers, such as handstands and somersaults. Boston Dynamics attributed these improvements to new development techniques.
On December 29, 2020, Boston Dynamics released a music video featuring Atlas, along with other robots, dancing to the song “Do You Love Me.”
Continuing its evolution, on August 17, 2021, Boston Dynamics unveiled a video showcasing two Atlas robots navigating a parkour course with jumps, balance beams, and vaults. Additionally, it was revealed that Atlas stands at 5 feet tall (1.5m), weighs 190 pounds (85kg), is powered by batteries, and hydraulically actuated with 20 degrees of freedom. Equipped with RGB cameras and depth sensors, Atlas processes input through three onboard computers for control, perception, and estimation.
Nadine – The Socially Intelligent Gynoid
Nadine, a gynoid humanoid social robot inspired by Professor Nadia Magnenat Thalmann, boasts a strikingly human-like appearance, featuring natural-looking skin, hair, and realistic hands. Designed with social intelligence, Nadine greets users, maintains eye contact, and recalls past conversations. Capable of autonomous multilingual responses, Nadine can simulate emotions through gestures and facial expressions tailored to the interaction’s context.
With a programmed personality, Nadine adapts its demeanor based on dialogue, possessing 27 degrees of freedom for facial expressions and upper body movements. Beyond conversation, Nadine assists individuals with special needs by reading stories, displaying images, facilitating Skype sessions, sending emails, and fostering family communication. Functionally versatile, Nadine fulfills roles as a receptionist, personal coach, and customer service agent, notably at AIA Insurance Company in Singapore, a groundbreaking feat for humanoid robotics in customer service.
https://twitter.com/O_Berchtold/status/991261642183925761
Nadine garnered widespread attention during her showcase at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore during the “HUMAN+: The Future of our Species” exhibition from May to October 2017, engaging with over 100,000 visitors. She continued to make waves by serving as a customer service agent at AIA Singapore and participating in live demonstrations across various industries, interacting with dignitaries like Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to NTU Singapore in June 2018.
In a pioneering move, Nadine spent six months at Bright Hill Evergreen Home in Singapore from late 2020 to April 2021, assisting elderly residents in activities like Bingo and fostering interactions. With ethical approval, a study examined Nadine’s interaction with light dementia patients, shedding light on the potential benefits of social robotics in eldercare. The documented interactions can be viewed on Nadine’s youtube channel.
Talos – The Walking Robot
February 2017 marked a significant stride into the future as the TALOS robot, a high-performance humanoid developed by PAL Robotics, was officially unveiled at the LAAS-CNRS in Toulouse, France. The event showcased the robot’s pioneering capabilities, including walking and advanced grasping control, in a demonstration held at the esteemed French research institution.
Named PYRENE, this inaugural platform of the TALOS robot series signifies a collaboration between PAL Robotics and the LAAS-CNRS’ Gepetto team, dedicated to research in navigation, anthropomorphic movements, and environmental interaction. PYRENE’s deployment aligns with a vision to integrate TALOS into innovative factory settings, where it can undertake physically demanding tasks or operate in hostile conditions unsuitable for humans.
Future developments by the Gepetto team will focus on enhancing PYRENE’s agility on uneven surfaces, augmenting its strength for heavy lifting, and refining its interaction capabilities for optimal safety and efficiency. PAL Robotics has engineered TALOS to epitomize the next generation of humanoid robots, integrating advanced electronics and sensors to ensure precise torque control through torque sensors in all joints, facilitating safe interactions with humans. Additionally, TALOS leverages EtherCAT communications for swift data exchange, enabling rapid responses to external forces.
TALOS boasts dynamic walking abilities with a maximum speed of 3 km/h, while its 7-DoF arms can handle payloads of up to 6 kg each, even when fully extended, enabling adept manipulation of heavy industrial tools. Furthermore, TALOS’ software is fully ROS capable, aligning seamlessly with the broader PAL Robotics’ family of robots.
Geminoid DK – The Robotic Surrogate
Geminoid DK is an intricately crafted android meticulously designed to explore the dynamics of human-robot interaction. Modeled after Danish professor Henrik Scharfe, Geminoid DK serves as his robotic surrogate, operated remotely by him.
The journey of Geminoid DK traces back to the collaboration between Japanese animatronics firm Kokoro and Hiroshi Ishiguro, a researcher at ATR and professor at Osaka University. The series began with the unveiling of the original Geminoid HI-1 in 2006, followed by the introduction of Geminoid F in 2010. Geminoid DK, the third iteration, was first revealed in 2011. Commissioned in 2010, the robot’s construction was completed the following year, drawing inspiration from Henrik Scharfe, a former professor at Aalborg University in Denmark, who employed the android to delve into human-robot interaction studies.
Specifications:
- Geminoid DK is equipped with an array of actuators meticulously positioned within the face and torso, facilitating autonomous breathing and blinking movements.
- Dimensions: With a width of 56 cm, a height of 130 cm in its sitting posture, and a length of 85 cm, Geminoid DK stands at 40 kg in weight.
- Sensors: The android is outfitted with external cameras and microphones strategically located adjacent to the robot, primarily utilized for teleoperation purposes.
- Actuators: Pneumatic actuators drive the intricate facial expressions, including movements in the eyes, forehead, eyebrows, eyelids, and cheeks, as well as in the neck and shoulders of the body.
- Degrees of Freedom (DOF): Geminoid DK boasts a total of 12 DOF, contributing to its remarkable range of lifelike movements.
- Materials: Constructed with a metal skeleton, the android features silicone skin for its hands and face, complemented by a wig crafted from a blend of human and artificial hair, enhancing its realism.
Kime – The Bartender
Developed by Macco Robotics, a company based in Seville, Spain, Kime is a humanoid robot designed specifically for serving food and beverages. With its robotic head and torso, Kime occupies an area of about 2 square meters and is equipped with two articulate arms capable of grabbing and dispensing beverages.
In contrast to the straightforward task of pouring a drink, the finesse required in bartending is not lost on Kime. Its hands are adept at pulling taps and positioning glasses correctly for precise pouring. According to Macco Robotics CTO, Kish Renganathan, Kime can pour a beer in just 23 seconds.
Prio, a gas company based in Portugal, conducted a trial of Kime at one of its gas stations last year. While serving beer at a gas station may seem unconventional, it aligns with the European approach to such services. For the next phase of testing, Prio plans to transport the kiosk between different gas stations, expanding its beverage offerings to include fountain drinks, milkshakes, and freshly made food items.
Additionally, a Spanish beer brand has employed Kime for events, albeit in a modified setup. Instead of a stationary kiosk, Kime is mounted on a cart, serving as a mobile beer dispensing robot for festivals and similar occasions.
What sets Kime apart is its humanoid form, a departure from the more common forms of automation seen in similar applications. While other robots like Cafe X focus on articulated arms for theatricality or embedded automation like Briggo for efficiency, Kime remains committed to its humanoid design.
Looking ahead, Macco Robotics envisions expanding Kime’s capabilities beyond beverage service to include cooking assistance. Despite potential efficiency concerns with swiveling arms, the company sees potential in training the robot in a controlled kitchen environment before eventually deploying it to assist chefs.
