10 Robots That Will Blow Your Mind
Robots are getting smarter, faster, and stronger. There are so many things they can do today: speak to people, express emotions, do physical tasks, work in different industries, and more. In this article, we’ll be listing 10 robots that have amazed us.
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1. Ameca
Ameca is the most life-like robot with impressive facial expressions. She can smile, frown, blink, scratch her nose, and more. Ameca recognizes her surroundings, holds conversations, mimics voices and styles, and moves her arms and shoulders. The humanoid robot was engineered by the UK-based company Engineered Arts. Her first video appeared on YouTube in December 2021, and her first public demonstration was in 2022 at the Cultural Evolution Society (CES) Conference. Technologically speaking, Ameca’s eyes are cameras, her ears are microphones, her responses are based on ChatGPT, and her learning ability is explained by Machine Learning. Engineered Arts describes Ameca as a development platform that integrates the latest technologies.
2. Atlas
Atlas – the famous bendy robot by a leading robotics company, Boston Dynamics. It can flip, run, jump, lift objects, and more. Atlas has over a decade of history. Recently, the robot underwent a major upgrade. On April 17, 2024, a video of the fully electric Atlas premiered on YouTube. The new Atlas replaces the previous generation of hydraulic ones. It is lighter, stronger, and more dynamic. The robot’s head resembles the Pixar lamp. It turns before the body does. Atlas is able to quickly reverse its direction with shoulders and hips rotating 360 degrees. Boston Dynamics announced they will begin testing Atlas applications with Hyundai, which is the 80% shareholder in the robotics company.
3. Astribot S1
This AI-powered robot made its public appearance on YouTube just recently, on April 26, 2024. Astribot S1 seems to do all everyday tasks. It makes a meal, opens bottles, pours wine, irons, folds clothes, sorts out dishes, etc. According to the official website, Astribot S1 moves at a maximum speed of 10 meters per second. The surrealistic robot was created by China-based company Astribot, a subsidiary of Stardust Intelligence. It has been tested with Large Language Models, understands natural language commands, and can be controlled remotely. Astribot S1 is expected to hit the market by the end of this year.
4. Figure 01
Figure 01 is another surprising humanoid robot in our list. It was developed by the startup called Figure, which introduced the robot’s concept to the public through computational rendering in March 2023. Figure 01 came to life in October 2023 in the form of a 168cm (5.5 feet) shiny robot. It was in March 2024 that Figure 01 achieved its peak popularity after a partnership announcement with Open AI, the company behind ChatGPT. At the time, the startup dropped a status update showcasing Figure 01’s new abilities powered by ChatGPT. In the video, you can see how the robot holds a conversation, hands a person an apple when asked for something to eat, picks up trash, puts dishes in the drying rack, and explains the logic behind its actions. Figure 01 is also able to make coffee, walk, and do different tasks.
5. Spot
Spot, the mechanical dog, can do different kinds of jobs. Using sensors, motors, and batteries, the four-legged creature is able to climb stairs, run over rocky surfaces, maneuver around obstacles, open doors, collect data, and more. Spot was launched in June 2020 by Boston Dynamics. The robot’s capacities make it a helpful partner in construction, fire department, and investigation. In October 2020, University of Bristol engineers took the robotic dog to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant to survey radiation levels and create a 3D map of its distribution. In 2024, Spot robots are required by different companies and organizations to do quality control, help police, and take photos in construction areas among other jobs. In 2023, Boston Dynamics presented Spot’s interactive version by integrating ChatGPT and other AI models.
6. Optimus
Optimus is a humanoid robot created by Elon Musk’s Tesla. Musk frequently mentions that Tesla is an AI/Robotics company that many still consider solely a car company. Since 2021, Tesla has been holding annual AI days, sharing its progress in the field. It was at AI Day, 2021 when Elon Musk first announced the Tesla robot will automate manufacturing. The prototype of Optimus, called Bumblebee was presented in 2022, and since then, Tesla’s robot has evolved a lot. In March 2023, the company presented Optimus Gen-1 a robot with limited mobility. The latest version of Optimus, Gen-2 was introduced in December 2023. Compared to previous versions, the robot has a number of improvements. Optimus Gen-2 is lighter and faster. It moves more easily and can do things for fun like dancing and things for work, like handling delicate items such as an egg, sorting Lego blocks by color, and folding cloths. Optimus is still under development. It’s expected to become available for sale by 2025 and will cost less than $20,000.
7. Digit
Digit is a robot made for work in manufacturing and logistics facilities. It’s designed in a human shape and has two arms, two legs, and a pair of LED eyes. Digit’s height is around 175cm (5.7 feet). The robot can carry objects up to 16kg, move in different directions, traverse stairs, and empty containers. The first version of the robot was introduced by Agility Robotics in 2020. In 2023, the company added a head so that people understand the robot’s actions better, and upgraded arms so that Digit picks up items more easily. Digit is controlled through a computer interface. Amazon is now testing the robot in its facilities to work with employees and automate some operations. To make Digit more capable, Agility Labs announced working on AI integration. In a demo released a few months ago, Digit performs new types of tasks enabled by Large Language Models. It receives voice commands, analyzes information, identifies objects, and moves them according to instructions.
8. BionicBee
BionicBee is the latest animal robot created by Festo, a German control and automation company. It is also Festo’s smallest flying object. The BionicBee weighs 34 grams and can fly in a “swarm.” Festo is known for creating technologies inspired by nature. The BionicBee and other animal-like robots developed by the company are part of its Bionic Learning Network. Among them are the bionic Flic Flac Spider, Swift, Flying Fox, Air Ray, Ant, and Kangaroo. The robot animals are based on physics, machine learning, and collaborative functionality. Festo aims to develop new tech models that mimic nature’s efficient designs. Having cameras, the mechanical animals can be used for wildlife observation. Other use cases include education, research, entertainment, industrial automation, and more.
9. Unitree H1
Being the fastest humanoid robot, the Unitree H1 achieves a walking speed of 3 meters per second. It beats the new generation Atlas whose speed is 2.5 meters per second. The Unitree H1 can carry objects up to 30 kg, jump, do backflips, dance, and more. It was developed by the China-based company Unitree and was introduced to the public in March 2024. Unitree uses its self-developed algorithm along with NVIDIA’s robot simulation platform for the robot’s development. The Unitree H1 robot is available for sale and costs around $150,000.
10. NASA EELS
What about a robot that can search for life on other planets? The US space agency NASA is developing one. Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have been testing out a snake-like robot to operate in a variety of environments such as snow, ice, and sand. Named Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS), the mechanical snake is meant to explore Earth, Moon, and icy moons in space, like Saturn’s Enceladus. EELS is around 100 kilograms and 4.4 meters. Due to its design consisting of multiple 3D-printed joints, the snake will be able to go through tight places and achieve locations inaccessible to people. It is designed to act on its own because of communication delays between Earth and deep space. EELS’s task will be sensing the environment, collecting data, and recovering by itself. The robot is under development, with the team actively testing its capabilities and refining the technology.
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