Humanoid Robots

Robots come in a variety of sizes and forms. The ones that resemble us, humans, are probably the most fascinating, charming, and appealing. They are referred to as the Humanoid Robots.

Research and space exploration, personal support and care-giving, education and entertainment, search and rescue, manufacturing and maintenance, public relations, and healthcare are among a few sectors where humanoid robots are employed.

Dive deep into the world of technology and continue reading to know more about the Humanoid Robots.

What are Humanoid Robots?

A humanoid robot is a type of robot whose general appearance is similar to that of a human.

Humanoid robots typically feature a torso with a head, two arms, and two legs, however, other types of humanoid robots may simply represent a portion of the body, such as,from the waist up. Some humanoid robots may exhibit only a face along with eyes and a mouth.

Androids are humanoid robots designed to look like a male human, often made from a flesh-like material, whereas Gynoids are humanoid robots designed to look like a female human.

The humanoids could be designed for practical reasons, such as interacting with human tools and environments, or for scientific purposes, such as the study of bipedal locomotion.

For example, Robot Shalu is a multilingual artificially intelligent humanoid robot built entirely of recyclable materials. Dinesh Kunwar Patel, a Kendriya Vidyalaya Computer Science teacher from Mumbai, India, has designed this robot. It can communicate in 47 languages, including 9 Indian languages and 38 international languages.

Present Trend

Before the coronavirus pandemic and economic uncertainty, Statistics Market Research Consulting predicted that the Global Humanoid Robot Market will reach $13 billion by 2026. While the future market trend is uncertain, robot utilization is now on the upswing: Chinese firms rushed to implement robots and automation technologies while doctors were battling with COVID-19.

In early March 2020, for example, Smart Field Hospital- a field hospital equipped entirely with robots as the staff,opened in Wuhan,China.

Humanoid robots provided by CloudMinds Technology, a Silicon Valley company, cleanse, measure temperatures, distribute food and medicine, and entertain medical personnel and patients.

As the infection spreads throughout the world, robots are being deployed in a number of countries. Some robots can relieve exhausted nurses in hospitals, perform simple cleaning and deliveries, while others can assist in warehouses, industrial robots can assist manufacturing companies in maintaining some production while their human coworkers are quarantined.

Examples of Humanoid Robots

1. Robotic Ambassador

Sophia, a social humanoid developed by Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics, is perhaps the most recognizable face of humanoid robots.

Sophia became a Saudi Arabian citizen in October 2017, making her the world’s first robot to do so. In 2020, the four-year-old AI-powered robot maintained her position as a robotic ambassador, contributing in the advancement of robotics and human-robot interaction studies.

As taught and trained by humans, Sophia can walk, communicate, display certain emotions, draw, and sing.

Sophia has been featured in several high-profile interviews and has been covered by the media all around the world.

2. Robotic Avatar

The T-HR3 is a humanoid robot that, like a real-world avatar, mimics the movements of its human operator. It was first unveiled by Toyota in 2017.

There are five Toyota Partner robots in all, each with a unique movement technique. These are: Bipedal robot, Segway-like wheels, Unique wire system and the i-Foot. T-HR3, Toyota’s third-generation of humanoid robots, was introduced in 2017, and it will be deployed for space travel.

It now has better controls and can walk more naturally. As a mobility service, these humanoids will be able to conduct surgeries in the future while their operators, human physicians, control them from another part of the world. It can also assist caretakers in working from home, as well as those who require assistance in living a more independent life.

3. Research Humanoid

Since 2010, mechanical engineers at Iran’s Tehran University have been working on Surena robots.
Surena IV, their most recent model, is an adult-sized humanoid that can identify faces and objects, recognise and generate speech, and walk at a pace of 0.7 kilometres per hour.
It has 43 degrees of movement and can grab a variety of shapes with its dexterous hands.
Engineers utilise Surena to study bipedal movement, artificial intelligence, and to encourage students to pursue technical careers.

4. Robotic Bartender

Macco Robotics in Spain designed Kime, a food and beverage serving robot. Kime has been tested at petrol stations around Europe and at a Spanish brewery.

It includes two arms and a human-like head and body inside a kiosk. It has proven to be extremely efficient at pouring beer, with the ability to serve up to 300 glasses per hour.

The humanoid has 14 to 20 degrees of freedom, is equipped with smart sensors, and improves its abilities through machine learning.

5. Robonauts

Humanoids for space exploration are being developed by a number of countries. In December 2020, Vyommitra, a female humanoid robot from India, was planned for an uncrewed voyage. The operations were held due to the pandemic. Microgravity experiments would be conducted by the robot in order to help prepare for future crewed trips.

Fedor, which stands for Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research, was a Russian remote-controlled humanoid that traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2019 and simulated repairs during a spacewalk before returning to Earth.

Robonaut 2 (who spent seven years on the International Space Station) and Valkyrie are two humanoids developed by NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Humanoid robots have enormous potential to become the industrial tool of the future, despite being one of the smallest groups of service robots in the current market. Contrary to popular perception that robots would replace human tasks, it’s fair to state that humanoids and robots will contribute to the automation of monotonous tasks.

Humans will be able to focus on more complicated activities and generate more employment as a result of this. They would have to keep an eye on robots, use big data to gain a better understanding of the world around them, anticipate the future, and follow their passions and hobbies.

As we progress with time, we may expect humanoids and robots to evolve more and find new uses as they become more accessible to a larger audience.