Robot Round-Up

[Mythopoeika]

Is it just me or is a lot of Chinese made stuff just really fragile and crap?

It's not just you. Much of it is fragile and crap. Let the buyer beware.

 

[EnolaGaia]

Oregon State University researchers have developed a bipedal robot called Cassie, which has become the first untethered bot to complete a 5K run.
FULL STORY: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/star-wars-running-robot-finishes-5k-two-legs-180978331/ ...

OSU's Cassie robot has established a new Guinness world record for the bipedal robot 100m dash - 24.73 seconds.

Robot runs 100 meters in 24.73 seconds, breaks world record

A robot developed at Oregon State University broke a Guinness World Record by running 100 meters on two legs in less than a half-minute.

Oregon State University's College of Engineering announced that the robot, developed at the school and produced by OSU spinoff company Agility Robotics, broke the Guinness World Record for fastest 100 meters by a bipedal robot. ...

The robot, dubbed Cassie, took to the track at the school's Whyte Track and Field Center and ran the 100 meters in 24.73 seconds. ...

FULL STORY: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/0...orld-Records-bipedal-robot-run/7051664311375/

... There are other Guinness World Records titles for fast robots, but this one is based on a standard competitive human task. It is not just a measure of momentary top-speed – it is effectively average speed sustained across a certain distance and under the significant constraints that it must start in a standing pose and return to that pose after crossing the finish line. It cannot simply run 100 metres and crash.

Similar to the takeoff and landing of an airplane, starting and (especially) stopping were the most challenging hurdles of this endeavor. The neural network controller for the dash was specialized for running and unable to make Cassie stand still. To address this the DRL transitioned between two neural networks: one that can run, and another that can stand. Getting it to work gracefully was a matter of encoding proper timing for these transitions. Given the realistic nature of the task, establishing this record is a concrete milestone in robot locomotion and real-world capability. ...

SOURCE: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/629600-fastest-100-m-by-a-bipedal-robot

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

Elon Musk to reveal new humanoid robot called Optimus at Tesla’s AI Day:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/sep/30/tesla-optimus-humanoid-robot-elon-musk-ai-day

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

Elon Musk to reveal new humanoid robot called Optimus at Tesla’s AI Day:

View attachment 59453

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/sep/30/tesla-optimus-humanoid-robot-elon-musk-ai-day

At the event, "Optimus" was revealed without the skin shown in the publicity shot.
He walks onstage, waves to the crowd and then exits (short video in the link below).
Impressive, but far less so than what Boston Dynamics have achieved with their dancing robots. Elon Musk's goal is to mass-produce a useful humanoid domestic robot, priced at under $20,000.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/sep/30/tesla-optimus-humanoid-robot-elon-musk-ai-day

 

[Trevp666]

Elon Musk's goal

is self-publicity.
Some of what he sets out to do, he actually achieves, such as Tesla cars, and his SpaceX stuff (which is starting to drag on a bit before we see a Starship 'full stack' launch), but there are other things he starts, but doesn't finish.

 

[Mythopoeika]

At the event, "Optimus" was revealed without the skin shown in the publicity shot.
He walks onstage, waves to the crowd and then exits (short video in the link below).
Impressive, but far less so than what Boston Dynamics have achieved with their dancing robots. Elon Musk's goal is to mass-produce a useful humanoid domestic robot, priced at under $20,000.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/sep/30/tesla-optimus-humanoid-robot-elon-musk-ai-day

An actual robot, not just someone in a zentai suit?

 

[Timble2]

Elon Musk to reveal new humanoid robot called Optimus at Tesla’s AI Day:

View attachment 59453

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/sep/30/tesla-optimus-humanoid-robot-elon-musk-ai-day

Why do humanoid robots tend to walk like they're had a mishap in the trouser region and don't want to spread it around?

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

An actual robot, not just someone in a zentai suit?

I suspect that is exactly why the demo featured a skinless Optimus.

 

[Mythopoeika]

I suspect that is exactly why the demo featured a skinless Optimus.

I'm not that impressed by it. Maybe the released version will be a lot better?

 

[Trevp666]

Why do humanoid robots tend to walk like they're had a mishap in the trouser region and don't want to spread it around?

'Latency' in the signal.
Us meatbags have a fully developed nervous system that takes all it's signals simultaneously from the various parts of our body, including balance from the stuff inside our ears, and processes the information as it comes in, constantly, so we can keep a fluid motion and keep our balance etc. along with the assistance of 'muscle memory'.
Whereas robots/androids/automatons (call them what you will) all rely on a number of sensors that make a single measurement once every (eg) hundred times a second, and then send that information as a signal to their (often) on-board computer. The better/faster that computer is at processing those signals and then sending out instructions to correct the movement, the better and more fluid the machine moves.
Advanced 'AI' (and eventually 'quantum' computing) will enable that to happen even better, but currently, due to the 'lag' in those systems (signal latency), which is probably only micro-seconds, it is still not quick enough to produce the fluid motion that us meatbags can produce, so the designers have to build in a failsafe to allow for the 'lag', which results in the ponderously slow movement you often see.
AFAIK the only ones that are really nailing it at present are the Boston Dynamics units. And even they are still a bit on the 'might fall over' side of things.

 

[Swifty]

Why do humanoid robots tend to walk like they're had a mishap in the trouser region and don't want to spread it around?

Like they have a hard on that they're hoping nobody notices?.

 

[ChasFink]

One thing that the last 20 years or so of robotics has shown me is there is little practical use for truly humanoid robots unless you're explicitly trying to mimic humans. The skinned version of Optimus is unnecessarily slender and graceful looking - although the real thing has far to go in the graceful department.

 

[Salmonellus]

One thing that the last 20 years or so of robotics has shown me is there is little practical use for truly humanoid robots unless you're explicitly trying to mimic humans. The skinned version of Optimus is unnecessarily slender and graceful looking - although the real thing has far to go in the graceful department.

You would be right when it comes to factory robots. It's better to build them as specific machines and design the factory around them.

I've wondered, though, if robots designed to operate inside homes might have to be at least vaguely humanoid. After all, they have to operate in an environment designed for humans. Think of all the things they would have to be capable of - climbing stairs, getting into a lift and selecting and pressing a button, opening kitchen cupboards and using cooking equipment designed for people, perhaps even getting into a car and sitting down to be taken somewhere - the robots would have to be designed to cope with the environment, because people would baulk at the expense of rebuilding their homes just to suit a machine.

I think all those constraints would make the humanoid shape more practical.

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

Robot is interrogated in the House of Lords:

https://www.theguardian.com/technol...downs-robot-gives-evidence-to-lords-committee

 

[Trevp666]

They might have been much better off spending time with Sophia.
Or any number of other more advanced units.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-11211887/Meet-worlds-realistic-humanoid-ROBOTS.html

 

[ramonmercado]

R.I.P. little robot.

9:53 AM THU OCT 27, 2022

Don Huan/Shutterstock.com

This cheerful little delivery robot, filled with piping hot containers of Five Cheese Ziti al Forno and Ravioli Carbonara, was happily rolling across some railroad tracks when a train ran it over, killing it instantly. The beginning of the video reveals that the delivery robot's co-workers witnessed the tragedy.

If this delivery bot could speak, its last words would probably be something like this: "I'm sorry for your loss. I didn't mean to get hit by the train, I was just trying to do my job."

According to news reports, the next day, one of the delivery bots was seen placing a memorial wreath made of pasta on the tracks near the remains of the fallen delivery robot.

https://boingboing.net/2022/10/27/c...d-under-the-wheels-of-a-locomotive-video.html

 

[Mythopoeika]

With that kind of delivery method, accidents are going to happen.

 

[flannel]

It wouldn't last 5 minutes round our way - there's no trains, just students and ASBO's.

 

[hunck]

I actually saw one trundling along the pavement in Northants a few weeks back - apparently the Co-op use them. Must be susceptible to people simply helping themselves to the contents though unless there’s some sort of security I’m unaware of..

 

[Mythopoeika]

I actually saw one trundling along the pavement in Northants a few weeks back - apparently the Co-op use them. Must be susceptible to people simply helping themselves to the contents though unless there’s some sort of security I’m unaware of..

Probably a coded lock, like Amazon use with their lockers.

 

[ramonmercado]

Probably a coded lock, like Amazon use with their lockers.

If they can't get at the contents then they'll just wreck the robot.

 

[MorningAngel]

I actually saw one trundling along the pavement in Northants a few weeks back - apparently the Co-op use them. Must be susceptible to people simply helping themselves to the contents though unless there’s some sort of security I’m unaware of..

I think they have an alarm system.

 

[Trevp666]

I saw one waiting at a pelican crossing (they're the ones with traffic lights to stop the traffic) and I thought to myself "how do they press the button?"

 

[MorningAngel]

I saw one waiting at a pelican crossing (they're the ones with traffic lights to stop the traffic) and I thought to myself "how do they press the button?"

Maybe hoping someone else will. I see many humans who wait without pressing the button.

 

[Trevp666]

Maybe hoping someone else will. I see many humans who wait without pressing the button.

My point is though is that the little wheeled robot doohickeys don't have hands to press the button to cross, whereas yer average human person does have hands and can press the button, should they so desire.

 

[hunck]

Probably a coded lock, like Amazon use with their lockers.

I think they have an alarm system.

I'm assuming they'll be generally carrying fairly low cost items as well rather than cases of champagne etc.

 

[MorningAngel]

This is from five years ago and they do say they are going to have alarms in the future. I’m sure I’ve heard them say they have.

Edit:

Starship robots avoid mishap by 'screeching' when people try to rob them in Milton Keynes​

https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news...ople-try-to-rob-them-in-milton-keynes-2446856

 

[EnolaGaia]

I saw one waiting at a pelican crossing (they're the ones with traffic lights to stop the traffic) and I thought to myself "how do they press the button?"

The Starship robots wait at mapped pedestrian crossings until the light turns green for foot traffic or the robot evaluates crossing as safe.

https://medium.com/starshiptechnologies/robots-and-road-users-e819a3dae98

Starship delivery bots can be remotely controlled in addition to using their onboard autonomous navigation skills.

 

[Trevp666]

If I wanted to steal some crappy fast-food from one of these little delivery bots I wouldn't be just grabbing ahold of it and trying to pull the lid off.
No. I'd take to it with my 3 foot long, inch thick, crowbar, which I have found is pretty much 'at the top of the food chain', an 'apex predator', when it comes to accessing pretty much anything in short order.

Brute force and determination usually wins through in any situation, I have found.

 

[Mythopoeika]

If I wanted to steal some crappy fast-food from one of these little delivery bots I wouldn't be just grabbing ahold of it and trying to pull the lid off.
No. I'd take to it with my 3 foot long, inch thick, crowbar, which I have found is pretty much 'at the top of the food chain', an 'apex predator', when it comes to accessing pretty much anything in short order.
View attachment 60341
Brute force and determination usually wins through in any situation, I have found.

If we reach a point where there is mass-starvation, people will do just that.