Automated Machines Display Artisanship at Historic Olympia, Ancient Greece
In the heart of Ancient Olympia, Greece, the International Humanoid Olympiad brought together experts and developers from around the world to discuss the progress and challenges of humanoid robotics.
One of the highlights of the event was the performance by Boston Dynamics, showcasing the agility and coordination of their dog-like Spot robots as they danced in synchrony to a Queen song on America's Got Talent. However, mid-routine, one of the robots broke down, serving as a stark reminder of the challenges in developing humanoid robots.
Despite the rapid advancement of AI, training material for humanoid robots remains scarce. This is a hurdle that the co-founder of robot maker Acumino, Patrick Jarvis, aims to address by laying the foundation for annual competitions of humanoid robots.
The organizers of the International Humanoid Olympiad limited events to what humanoids could reasonably attempt, due to practical constraints. Liarokapis, a Greek academic and startup founder, believes it will take more than 10 years for humanoids to execute tasks with dexterity in homes.
Elon Musk revealed Tesla's Optimus prototype in 2022, which walked stiffly onstage and turned to wave to a cheering crowd. Chinese companies, such as Unitree Technology and Ubtech, are also making strides in humanoid robotics. Unitree's robots, like the R1 and G1, are increasingly affordable and used in industrial settings, while Ubtech has received large commercial orders worth hundreds of millions of yuan.
However, humanoid robots still require significant expertise and current applications are mainly in controlled environments rather than open public events. Ken Goldberg, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests combining old-fashioned engineering with real-world training to help humanoid robots learn.
The biological computer developed by Cortical Labs, using real brain cells grown on a chip, could potentially teach robots to think and adapt more like humans. Psyonic's bionic hand, offering sensory feedback, could also accelerate robot development. Aadeel Akhtar, CEO and founder of Psyonic, gained international attention after appearing on the U.S. television show "Shark Tank" last year.
Successful robotics development requires synergies between various parties, which are already attracting significant funding. Chinese companies are increasingly showcasing their humanoid robots at public events, while US rivals mostly rely on polished videos.
Minas Liarokapis, a Greek academic and startup founder, believes humanoids will go to space before entering homes. This ambitious vision, along with the innovative ideas brought by developers, promises an exciting future for humanoid robotics.
