Top 10 Most Advanced Humanoid Robots
Whether bartending, performing surgery or cheering on a professional baseball team during the pandemic, humanoid robots are becoming increasingly common in our everyday lives. The most advanced ones are able to handle tasks with ease while also learning.
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Sophia is perhaps the most recognizable of these machines, designed by Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics to look like Audrey Hepburn and capable of speaking, drawing and showing emotions. It even knows a few words of English.
1. ASIMO
ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) was first unveiled by Honda in 2000 after 14 years of research. It can run, walk (even on slopes and uneven surfaces) and carry objects in its arms. It also has a basic face recognition system that lets it greet "familiar" people and recognize hand gestures. It can even predict the direction that a person is going to move in the next few seconds and adjust its own movements to avoid running into them.
Honda is now working on a new version of ASIMO that's more autonomous than previous versions and can make predictions from gathered information, including the movement of people. This would put it one step closer to being a true humanoid robot that can act without being controlled by a person. The new version is expected to be available sometime in 2020.
2. PEPPER
Pepper is the world’s first social humanoid robot that can recognize basic emotions. Its sleek, friendly shell holds 20 electric motors, two cameras and a 3-D sensor. Its high-capacity lithium-ion battery typically delivers 12 hours of operation. A touch screen on its chest increases its ability to interact with people.
The robot can recognize faces, identify people’s moods and orient itself to the person who is speaking. It can also use shape recognition software to determine where sounds are coming from and locate a person’s position in a room.
SoftBank is marketing Pepper primarily to businesses, such as restaurants, hotels and car dealerships. It plans to open the robot to third-party developers, who will create applications for Pepper that are similar to smartphone apps. It will then offer these apps in a similar fashion to the app store for Android and iOS devices.
3. Sanbot
Developed by Qihan Technology, Sanbot is an intelligent humanoid robot designed for customer-oriented industries like retail, hospitality and education. It uses cloud-enabled robotics technology and AI to support tasks in areas such as customer service, security, telemarketing and education.
Its 14 input sensors help Sanbot understand and interact with its environment, while a built-in holographic HD projector and a touchscreen tablet on its chest provide the tools for its users to command it. Using IBM Watson smarts, the bot can also recognize and respond to speech commands in 28 languages.
It can detect obstacles and other objects, while facial recognition and thermal imaging help to keep it away from unauthorized or dangerous items. It is able to notify human workers when suspicious or forbidden objects are detected. The system also allows for remote hardware control and data storage.
4. NAO
NAO is a programmable humanoid robot, famous worldwide. Designed to interact with people, it is packed with sensors and can walk, dance, speak, and recognize faces and objects.
Its sensing system includes four microphones for voice recognition and sound localization, two HD cameras (computer vision with face and object detection), touch sensors on the head, hands, and feet, and a graphical programming tool called Choregraphe.
The robot is also able to detect obstacles, avoid falls, and get back up on its own when it does fall. The robot navigates its environment using motion odometry computed from the relative displacement of its legs on the floor. This sensor is complemented by other families of on-board sensors, including inertial measurements units and contact sensing. This enhances the interaction experience between NAO and humans. Its pleasantly rounded design and lifelike conversational AI make it a perfect companion for children, adults, and seniors alike.
5. Han
Han is a humanoid robot developed by Hanson Robotics that focuses on helping people find contentment. This expressive robot uses multiple cameras and voice recognition technology to observe its environment and converse with people. Its face is made out of frubber, which is a material that mimics human skin.
Another humanoid robot that made our list is Ameca, created by Engineered Arts. This beautiful bot is touted as the world's most advanced humanoid robot, and it can speak several languages including Japanese, Chinese, and British English.
Junko Chihira, a humanoid robot developed by Toshiba, can communicate in both Japanese and English. This impressive robot works as a customer service and tourism assistant, and it has the ability to answer questions from tourists using speech synthesis and natural language processing technology. It also has a variety of facial expressions that make it seem more real to users.
6. Nadine
A social robot with a natural appearance, Nadine is modeled after Professor Nadia Magnenat Thalmann and was built at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. It can show emotions, speak with a human voice, and understand some gestures.
Unlike other humanoid robots such as Jia Jia or Geminoid DK, which are used for bipedal movement, Nadine is a social and relationship-focused robot that can interact with people. Its creators are hoping that it could eventually replace a companion or care worker in old age homes.
The processing layer acts as Nadine’s brain and uses the data received from perception layer to determine an appropriate response. The interaction layer then controls Nadine’s motors to show the selected response. This includes modifying her head to maintain eye gaze with the user and showing different facial expressions. It also includes a speech synthesizer and lip synchronization for verbal responses.
7. ARMAR-6
Unlike other robots, ARMAR-6 was developed for collaborative work in spaces designed for humans like factories and warehouses. The humanoid from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology has hands that can hold tools like drills and hammers or grasp a ladder. It can also ask for help from its human coworkers.
Rather than being programmable, the robot is taught new tasks through observation and linguistic instruction. It has a variety of sensors and can recognize objects at different levels of abstraction, including raw sensor data, human motions, and tools.
For example, when a technician tells the robot he needs to repair the conveyor drive system in an automated warehouse, ARMAR-6 realizes that it will need cleaning fluid. It then brings the cleaner to the technician and hands it over. Watch the video to see the impressive AI that makes it all possible.
8. Surena IV
Researchers at Iran’s University of Tehran introduced a rudimentary humanoid robot called Surena in 2008. More than 10 years later, they unveiled the fourth version, which can do things like shakily grasp a water bottle and write its name on a whiteboard. It can also drill holes in walls and take a group selfie with people in front of it.
The latest Surena has improved tracking, new hands that give it more dexterity, and a walking speed of 0.7 kilometers per hour. Its nimbleness comes from a whole-body movement controller that constantly tweaks its posture to stay upright.
Professor Yousefi-Koma says his team built Surena IV to be "an image of technological progress toward humanity and peace," with hopes that it will inspire people to embrace the prospects of robotics. The outside of the machine features sleek new plastic covers that make it look smooth and just a little bit menacing.
9. Boston Dynamics
One of the most popular robots on this list, Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot Spot has gained new abilities that allow it to better interact with humans. It can now move around obstacles in its path, adjusting its center of gravity and surface plane-reading sensors.
The company recently released a video of Spot arm-equipped with a six-degrees-of-freedom gripper opening doors, picking up laundry, and flipping switches and valves. The arm is completely integrated into the robot’s overall system dynamics, so that it can manipulate objects without unbalancing itself.
Another notable robot from the company is Atlas, a leaping backflipping machine that can navigate terrain that would be challenging for humans. Then there’s SN-3 Nova, developed to accompany maintenance technicians in locations too dangerous for them to go. Also from Boston Dynamics is the omnidirectional mobile platform, Gripple.
10. Kawasaki Robotics
From tending stamping machines and manning body and frame assembly stations to applying precise coats of paint and sealing sensitive finished components, automakers and parts manufacturers count on nimble automotive robots to optimize functionality, flexibility and investment efficiency. Whether welding (arc, spot and friction) or dispensing liquid material like sealant or adhesives, Kawasaki robots deliver the performance needed to accelerate production timetables.
From the Unimate, the world's first industrial robot manufactured domestically in Japan, to the latest humanoid robots designed for healthcare, public relations, personal assistance and caregiving, research and space exploration, education, entertainment and more.
Easily program Kawasaki robots using either the Block Step programming method or the powerful AS Language — both available through Kawasaki's free KRNX open software. See the power of these advanced robots for yourself in a demo cell at Automate 2022.
