Some interesting new robots just announced!
Plus all the robots and startup news from the last week, and the big gap between what we think robots and people do... and what really happens.
It’s not too late to join us at TAHRI in Boulder via zoom although we’ve already had some great panels discussing the tech stack robotics needs and issues with LLMs for robotics.
“No human learns language from text or books” Great comment at TAHRI panel on speech and dialog. AI starting with text is going about learning language backwards - particularly if you are trying to head towards speech, social interaction and embodiment.
Btw - the image above is from my keynote presentation and it highlights the difference between what we believe that human-robot interaction is, compared to what really happens when robots and humans interact. I used the same prompt in Midjourney four times and each time it produced a similar set of pictures, which I think illustrates our collective fantasy landscape:
the older man instructing, controlling, repairing the slightly smaller robot (hands off)
the younger man standing toe to toe with the equivalent sized robot, friendly or pugilistic (hands off)
the younger woman gazing into the taller robots eyes WITH her hand on the robot
the cyborg, male, female or child like, with a similar robot.
In reality, workers blow cigarette smoke in front of the sensors of mobile robots, drunk passersby play ‘tip the delivery robot’ or ‘kick the robot dog’. (or worse when you have an attractive woman on the other end of a telepresence robot out in public)
And youngsters, particularly boys, are notorious for ganging up on robots, getting them into a corner and then picking a fight. Obviously, theft of robots in the wild is going to be a big risk, as is the shooting down of drones over private land. Organized protest groups taught others how to interfere with autonomous cars in San Francisco.
We’ve all seen ‘scooters behaving badly’. That’s what happens when we throw technology in front of the public and yet not treat them all like participants.
I’m going to have fun at TAHRI this weekend - and perhaps we’ll see some progress on robotics standards working groups and shared tech stacks.
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Interesting Robots:
via Remi Cadene on X
After 3 years @tesla and Optimus, I am thrilled to announce that I joined Hugging Face to start an ambitious open robotics project! (open as in open-source, not as in Open AI) Looking for engineers to build real robots in Paris https://apply.workable.com/huggingface/j/F612A84F16…
https://www.zdnet.com/article/hugging-face-launching-robotics-project-with-former-tesla-scientist/
via Matt Freed on X
OFF THE GANTRY HERE WE GO NO CHAINS BREAK FRE
via Robert Scoble on X
EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK: Silicon Valley garage startup building a humanoid robot. $8,000. BOM on robot.
. 3D printed carbon fiber. 26 high torque electric motors that were stuck in customs for a month. Pre launch. Will be first shown at
demo day in April. Company didn’t exist three months ago. This is the purest form of the startup drug.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1766365088129368113
More Robotics News:
NASA’s CADRE Rovers Take First Autonomous Drive - NASA JPL
Rocking Robotics Training - ESA
Saildrone’s first aluminum Surveyor autonomous vessel splashes down for Navy testing - TechCrunch
Korea Launches First Containership Built for Autonomous Operations - The Maritime Executive
Robot ships: Huge remote controlled vessels are setting sail - BBC
Brunswick And Apex Partner To Advance Autonomous Boat Technology - Forbes
Method rapidly verifies that a robot will avoid collisions - MIT News
Experts alarmed over AI in military as Gaza turns into ‘testing ground’ for US-made war robots - Salon
The Challenges, Possibilities and Ethics of AI-Enabled Robots - UTNews
Rosie the Robot runs for real - Hackaday
Humanoid robot-maker Figure partners with OpenAI and gets backing from Jeff Bezos and tech giants - Denver Post
Humanoid Robots at Amazon Provide Glimpse of an Automated Workplace - Bloomberg
Agility Robotics names new CEO: Peggy Johnson, former Magic Leap CEO and Microsoft exec - GeekWire
Agility Robotics’ new CEO is ‘focused on the here and now’ - TechCrunch
How Amazon’s latest Climate Pledge Fund investment is transforming recycling through AI and robotics - Amazon
Reshape Automation aims to reduce barriers of robotics adoption - The Robot Report
Anyware Robotics’ Pixmo Takes Unique Approach to Trailer Unloading - IEEE Spectrum
4D Knit Dress robot uses several technologies to create a custom design and a custom fit - TechXplore
Welcome to the Valley of the Creepy AI Dolls - Wired
Robotics Events:
28-29 March - Curbivore - Downtown Los Angeles
Delivery & Mobility Innovation Converge at Curbivore - Special Offer for Members!
Join me at Curbivore, where the worlds of delivery robotics, mobility innovation, food automation, civic technology and policy / regulation converge, March 28 & 29 in Downtown LA. Meet with and hear from leaders at Starship, Waymo, DoorDash, Uber, Coco Robotics, Zenblen, as well as investors, media, and more - plus get your hands on all the latest machinery. First time attendees can join for just $20 when they register with code RS20.
6 March - Bots&Beer - ?? looking for venue in Peninsula or SF ??
9 Mar - 10 Mar - TAHRI 2024 Boulder CO - (Technology Advances for HRI)
1 Mar - 14 Mar - HRI 2024 Boulder CO
5-6 April - SF Symphony: Press Play Carol Reiley and the Robots - Soundbox SF
6 April - Robot Block Party - Circuit Launch San Leandro at Bayfair Mall
18-21 April 2024 - RoboGames - TBC
21 April 2024 - Robots on Ice - Yerba Buena Skating Rink SF
Some more upcoming academic robotics conferences:
Haptics 2024 Long Beach CA 7 Apr - 10 Apr
Robosoft 2024 San Diego CA 14 Apr - 17 Apr
ICRA 2024 Yokohama Japan 13 May - 17 May 2024
ARSO 2024 Hong Kong, China 20 May - 22 May 2024
AIM 2024 Boston MA 14 July - 18 July
CASE 2024 Puglia Italy 28 Aug - 1 Sep 2024
IROS 2024 AbuDhabi 14 Oct - 18 Oct 2024
Humanoids 2024 Nancy FR 26 Nov - 28 Nov
ICRA 2025 Atlanta Georgia 17 May - 23 May 2025