The humanoid robot driven by the robot AI world model unlocks many new skills!&nbsp;Strong power is waiting for you to develop!Breaking the full-size humanoid speed world record of 3.3m/s (the previous record was about 2.5m/s) Full body dynamic coordinated dance: Subject3&nbsp;Touch the height in place etc.&nbsp;More introduction: www.unitree.com/h1 <h2> </h2>

[full-size humanoid] Evolution V3.0

Unitree H1 Breaking humanoid robot speed world record

Embodied AI, Price below $90k Preview over half-a-year achievement The highest-power-performance robot of its counterparts with similar specifications in the world, weigh ~47Kg, maximum joint torque of 360N.m For more product information, please contact us through our official website:&nbsp;<a tabindex="0" href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2lqY1IxNDEyVl9UX1hYTHJLNjhMcVh0bk5Td3xBQ3Jtc0ttMW1hRjdha2NoQjVTYlZiTDhzTzlOQmZsYlY2QlpjSEhFOER1eHJ4UmxwejJGQlpRVXFzRXlwTzZiSDVQdFpLQWlpYUxTRk54QWJlQ2N2MEFQd2JxV3M2b3FDdlc1NWIyNlJBSmc3NGxLLU9INkdwcw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.unitree.com%2Fh1&v=q8JMX6PGRoI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.unitree.com/h1</a>

Price below $90k

Unitree General-pupose Humanoid Robot H1 Evolution V2.0

Researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) are transforming human-robot collaboration with adaptive interfaces, enabling real-time robot adjustments and safe, seamless interactions.Key takeaways:<ul><li>Real-time adaptation for collaboration:&nbsp;Sirintuna and Ozdamar developed an adaptive collaborative interface (ACI) that allows robots to adjust their actions to the human movement intention in real-time, improving teamwork and efficiency.</li><li>Safety and predictability:&nbsp;Safety protocols and torque-controlled robots reduce risks in human-robot interaction, though unpredictable human behavior remains a challenge.</li><li>Xsens motion capture: The researchers use Xsens for precise, continuous movement data, crucial for interpreting human intentions and enabling seamless robot-human collaboration.</li><li>Future applications:&nbsp;The research has potential in healthcare, emergency response, and home assistance, aiming for robots that adapt intuitively in real-life, unstructured environments.&nbsp;</li></ul>Humans have been working with machines for centuries, and with the ongoing robotics revolution, this collaboration is becoming more equal. Researchers Doganay Sirintuna and Idil Ozdamar from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) are at the forefront of this change, investigating how robots can effectively work with humans in tasks such as carrying and delivering objects.&nbsp;The new challenge&nbsp;IIT has been actively researching human-robot collaboration for several years, showcasing robots that can perform a variety of tasks, from assisting in drilling holes to serving cups of coffee. &nbsp;Researchers Doganay Sirintuna and Idil Ozdamar, from the Human-Robot Interfaces and Interaction Laboratory, are developing a framework that allows robots to assist with transporting objects. Their framework, called Adaptive Collaborative Interface (ACI) uses haptic feedback and motion capture data to enable robots to adjust their speed and position for better teamwork with humans.&nbsp;In Ozdamar's study, “<a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.14009" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Carrying the Uncarriable: A Deformation-Agnostic and Human-Cooperative Framework for Unwieldy Objects Using Multiple Robots</a>,” a framework is presented for one person and two robots to carry a large, deformable object using flexible straps. In a related study by Sirintuna and Ozdamar, “<a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.10392" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Human-Robot Collaborative Carrying of Objects with Unknown Deformation Characteristics</a>,” they explore handling items from flexible ropes to rigid rods. By analyzing human movements and force feedback, robots can detect the deformability of the handled objects and adapt their actions. &nbsp;<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q3sA6YzTaaE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe>Sirintuna and Ozdamar's research focuses on robots consisting of a base with wheels (mobile manipulators) and a robotic arm with multiple joints (known as collaborative robots or cobots). They explain, "In our setup, we have 9° of freedom, and with wheeled robots, you can perform fast movements. So, we selected an industrial robot to concentrate on collaboration tasks."&nbsp;The choice of Xsens &nbsp;In their work, Sirintuna and Ozdamar rely heavily on <a href="https://www.movella.com/products/motion-capture" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Xsens motion capture</a> to collect accurate movement data to guide the robots. Xsens allows the researchers to conduct the experiments with minimal setup—making it a practical choice for laboratory environment. Sirintuna and Ozdamar stress the importance of precise, continuous data when working in close collaboration with humans. They appreciate Xsens’ reliability, noting, “We used Xsens because its data was very continuous, which allowed us to provide a reliable stream of data for the human-robot collaboration. Optical sensors we have tried can experience jumps in position, affecting the performance of our framework.”&nbsp;A key focus of their research is interpreting human intentions through movement data. Xsens provides detailed kinematic data, enabling them to categorize actions such as standing still, pushing, or pulling. Through repeated training, they achieved a 98% accuracy in predicting human movements within just three months. “We label specific joint positions and angles as pushing or pulling and use these as input for our system,” Ozdamar explains. Sirintuna and Ozdamar also developed an algorithm that interprets human’s rotational intent by analyzing torso and hand movements, with the goal of creating robots that assist efficiently in tasks like turning while carrying objects. &nbsp;The research results &nbsp; As a result of applying the adaptive collaborative interface, Sirintuna and Ozdamar found that cobots can handle tasks with higher precision, anticipating human movements in real time and adjusting actions based on nuanced data. With the help of a robot operating under ACI in the research on the different deformable objects, "participants completed the task faster, with less effort and higher effectiveness". In the research with two robots assisting one person with transporting a bulky object using deformable straps, the ACI allowed robots to have faster response and better alignment of the movement and required a lesser force input from the person, making the lifting task easier.&nbsp;The findings underscore the power of applying ACI for human-robot collaboration scenarios and lay a foundation for future research in this area.&nbsp;<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ounQmCdYlC4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> The future of human-robot collaboration and humanoids&nbsp;Looking ahead, Sirintuna and Ozdamar see their research supporting applications in healthcare, emergency response, and home assistance, as well as enabling robots to become common in public spaces and workplaces to meet needs, for example, in agriculture, affected by climate change. The researchers note that “human-robot teams that leverage human adaptability and decision-making can perform tasks with the flexibility required in unstructured environments.”&nbsp;However, making this robotized future reality requires addressing safety concerns in human-robot collaboration. The research robots are torque-controlled, equipped with soft joints, and programmed to avoid reacting to unexpected high-velocity impacts or large force inputs. Yet, as the researchers point out, for real-world applications, the unpredictability of human behavior remains the greatest challenge. “We design algorithms based on expected movements, but humans often behave in unexpected ways,” says Sirintuna. Ozdamar adds, “We can ensure slightly more safety on the robots’ side than on a person’s because we can predict the robot’s behavior.”&nbsp;Ultimately, Sirintuna and Ozdamar’s work lays a foundation for future robots capable of safe, intuitive collaboration with humans, bringing us closer to a world where robots seamlessly assist in our daily lives.&nbsp;

By Xsens MVN Analyze

IIT Develops Adaptive Collaborative Interface for Safe Human-Robot Interaction with Xsens motion capture

In order to promote the development of the global embodied AI industry, the Unitree G1 robot operation data set is open sourced, adapted to a variety of open source solutions, and continuously updated:&nbsp;Open source data collection:&nbsp;<a tabindex="0" href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa3VhODBhSF8tQzQtdFlpaUk2blczM2t1WFdkd3xBQ3Jtc0ttTkF6bzFrSzVTbkk5elFNaXl4ZmZyQTE5VGFfbWpESlhxVS1VRklKVXozX2JrZ2ItekNReGx3Vm5QOHY2OGxER0diUUhhTWlBdmotSU9LUV9EcWV0dC00Y3pjTWpyQXlQUTU5RmZCYjhoRl9KeXhadw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Funitreerobotics%2Favp_teleoperate&v=OTWHXTu09wE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-immersive-translate-walked="dc553b62-3d51-4d74-bb21-9b5c19549e6f">https://github.com/unitreerobotics/av...</a>Open source learning algorithms:&nbsp;<a tabindex="0" href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFVfRV9DS25fNFpSMXVpaEJicUFBV29QY2NYd3xBQ3Jtc0tuejRtek9OWDF5Qk9Fc0FRNUhzWkl0SEdDSFM4UFRHLWk2MHdOUjR3LWxwN0JlUmxGRkJ5TjhlbE83S0hlZEhDY0IxQmFiOGJaM0MxRFVtdmtta3ZMMWVCOXlQMS1WR2hJa0hla0RtVHpvZWlQc3pPZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Funitreerobotics%2Funitree_IL_lerobot&v=OTWHXTu09wE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-immersive-translate-walked="dc553b62-3d51-4d74-bb21-9b5c19549e6f">https://github.com/unitreerobotics/un...</a>Open source datasets and models:&nbsp;<a tabindex="0" href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGh0clVCMHBNbkpPWTczdTFjSGtWNGFfLVowUXxBQ3Jtc0trV2VfWFBrLUVNNS1oM3JNR2ZEU0d0MnlYZXhBNDVQVjNfYkN1aGd1b3BMc3JHUGtNTnFBN0JSMi1CQUJHSnRUTzZMTWNIZnJNQ29IUmNtT2t1blZkRXJ3ZEtfZmRKYVdqUGk1OWNZSUl4d1g5Qk16MA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fhuggingface.co%2FUnitreeRobotics&v=OTWHXTu09wE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-immersive-translate-walked="dc553b62-3d51-4d74-bb21-9b5c19549e6f">https://huggingface.co/UnitreeRobotics</a>

In order to promote the development of the global embodied AI industry, the Unitree G1 robot operation data set is open sourced, adapted to a variety of open source solutions, and continuously updated.

Unitree G1 Open Source Dataset

<article data-clipboard-cangjie='["root",{},["p",{},["span",{"data-type":"text"},["span",{"fonts":{"ascii":"微软雅黑","cs":"微软雅黑","eastAsia":"微软雅黑","hAnsi":"微软雅黑","hint":"eastAsia"},"data-type":"leaf"},"G1 has flexible mechanical dimensions and joint design, including 23-43 degrees of freedom, industrial-grade crossed roller bearings and low-inertia high-speed motors, providing powerful joint output. The maximum torque of the knee joint can reach 120N.m, the maximum load of the arm is about 3Kg, it has a large joint movement space, and is equipped with depth cameras, 3D lidar, 4-microphone array and other perception sensors, as well as an 8-core high-performance CPU. In addition, G1 also provides high computing power modules, smart batteries, chargers and other supporting equipment, supports smart OTA upgrades and secondary development, and is suitable for general humanoids, industry applications, fitness and embodied smart communities and other fields. It is worth mentioning that the price of the G1 bipedal humanoid robot independently developed by Unitree Robotics has been reduced to less than 100,000 for the first time, providing more companies and individuals with the opportunity to contact and apply humanoid robots. "]]]]' id="isPasted">G1 has flexible mechanical dimensions and joint design, including 23-43 degrees of freedom, industrial-grade crossed roller bearings and low-inertia high-speed motors, providing powerful joint output. The maximum torque of the knee joint can reach 120N.m, the maximum load of the arm is about 3Kg, it has a large joint movement space, and is equipped with depth cameras, 3D lidar, 4-microphone array and other perception sensors, as well as an 8-core high-performance CPU.&nbsp;</article>

AI-driven robots need to learn new actions as fast as possible. This is very important.

Learning in 2 Days, Human-Like Natural Walking

The G1 robot can perform a standing long jump of up to 1.4 meters, possibly the longest jump ever achieved by a humanoid robot of its size in the world, standing only 1.32 meters tall; This video showcases some of the new features of the Go2 robot dog, which were updated a while ago but may still be unfamiliar to you. (Note: features vary by model and version) We sincerely hope you find it interesting!

The G1 robot can perform a standing long jump of up to 1.4 meters, possibly the longest jump ever achieved by a humanoid robot of its size in the world, standing only 1.32 meters tall.

Did you exercise today? Breaking Records! G1 Humanoid Robot Achieves a Jump Distance and Height Ratio of Over 1!

Robots, combined with artificial intelligence (AI), are transforming industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and research. 

AI-enabled robots and the importance of force sensing

Humanoid robots are designed to resemble and mimic human actions and interactions, placing them as a bridge forming collaborations between humans and machines. Their human-like appearance and movements create a sense of relatability and approachability not typically seen in traditional industrial robots. This "personal appeal" has sparked increased interest in developing humanoid robots for diverse applications, such as healthcare, customer service, education, and even space exploration - where human characteristics such as empathy, decision-making making, and personality are deemed valuable.&nbsp;This article provides insights into four of the leading humanoid robot projects from around the world.&nbsp;<h2>Selection Rationale</h2>The humanoid robots selected in this comparison represent the pinnacle of the current state of humanoid robotic technology. Each robot was selected based on its unique contributions to its field, ranging from technical capabilities to broadest application.&nbsp;Each selected robot is also in full production and either available for purchase or being used by their creators in real-time applications.&nbsp;<h2>Optimus by Tesla</h2>Also known as Tesla Bot, this general-purpose, bipedal, autonomous humanoid robot was created to perform unsafe, repetitive, or boring tasks. The company announced the robot's development in August 2021 and showed the prototype in 2022. Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, claimed that Optimus will eventually be able to do "anything that humans don’t want to do."Tesla's Optimus can sort colored blocks by color, locate its limbs in space, do some yoga, and even poach an egg. In December 2023, Musk released a video showing an Optimus Generation 2 walking and dancing. The new robot features a slimmer figure and sleeker, more precise movements.&nbsp;The robot is planned to measure 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) tall and weigh 125 lb (57 kg), and it will be controlled by the same AI system that Tesla uses in its cars. With a carrying capacity of 45 lb (20 kg), it can provide manufacturing assistance, and Musk has already commented that the robots will be utilized in Tesla’s car factories by the end of 2024 to enhance the factory's efficiency and significantly reduce production costs.&nbsp;The first commercial units of Tesla's Optimus will launch in 2025.<img width="624" src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1719036519097-1719036519097.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii" style="width: 778px;">Optimus, by Tesla, promises to be the future of automation in manufacturing. Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tesla.com/en_eu/AI" target="_blank">Tesla</a><h2>Atlas by Boston Dynamics</h2>Atlas, engineered by leading robotic company Boston Dynamics, represents a huge leap forward for robotic mobility and adaptability. Debuting on July 11, 2013, Atlas was designed to traverse and interact with its surroundings with a fluidity and precision reminiscent of human motion. Constructed with robust plastics, titanium, and aluminum 3D printed parts, Atlas was originally &nbsp; driven by powerful hydraulic actuators, but now, the company has announced a fully electric robot. In widely shared videos, Atlas has demonstrated a broad spectrum of physical prowess, including running, leaping, and executing backflips easily. These types of motion are difficult as they require the robot to self-correct and consider environmental factors.&nbsp;Atlas uses a comprehensive sensor network powered by AI to facilitate meticulous navigation and the proficient completion of multifaceted tasks across diverse landscapes. Such capabilities mean Atlas may have a future in scenarios such as search and rescue or fire management, where its agility and adaptability can be leveraged to great effect.&nbsp;After being acquired by &nbsp;Hyundai in 2021, the focus will be testing and iterating Atlas applications in manufacturing environments. The company promises that the electric version of Atlas is stronger and has a broader range of motion than previous models.&nbsp;<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-e1_QhJ1EhQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> <h2>NAO by Aldebaran</h2>NAO is an autonomous, programmable humanoid robot originally developed by Aldebaran Robotics. SoftBank Robotics acquired the French company in 2015 and released NAO 3. In July 2022, the company was rebranded Aldebaran again.Nao is available as a research robot for schools, colleges and universities to teach programming as well as conducting research into human-robot interactions. Over 5,000 Nao robots are used in 200+ educational and research institutions in 70 countries. The robots are also used in healthcare scenarios, such as care homes.NAO6, the latest version, features 25 degrees of freedom and an inertial measurement unit with an accelerometer, gyroscope, and four ultrasonic sensors that support NAO with stability and movement. The robots are also equipped with seven touch sensors to perceive their environment and their speech recognition is available in 20 languages. The robot also has 5G capabilities.&nbsp;<img border="0" width="624" src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1719036519109-1719036519109.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii">From supporting the education of autistic children to helping train International Space Station astronauts and assisting elderly patients in care homes, NAO robots have been integrated into education and healthcare applications. Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aldebaran.com/de/nao" target="_blank">Aldebaran</a><h2>Ameca by Engineered Arts</h2>Ameca, first developed by Engineered Arts in February 2021, is currently the most advanced human-shaped robot in the market, developed specifically for human-robot interaction. They are modular, upgradable, and easy to develop upon.With embedded microphones, binocular eye-mounted cameras, a chest camera, &nbsp;and facial recognition software, Ameca's interactions with the public work by GPT-3 or human telepresence. It also has motorized arms, fingers, neck, and facial features on grey rubber skin, designed to appear genderless. Engineered Arts has developed their own hardware, based on proprietory research into humanoid robotics, and built with their Mesmer technology, a system focused on powerful, cost-effective, and realistic humanoid robots.Ameca is currently associated with the Museum of the Future in Dubai (UEA), where people can interact with it.&nbsp;<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/651929733" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> <h2>Technology Overview&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="632"><tbody><tr><td width="12.341772151898734%" valign="bottom">Robot</td><td width="13.291139240506329%" valign="bottom">Company/Creator</td><td width="11.550632911392405%" valign="bottom">Vision &amp; Goal</td><td width="13.132911392405063%" valign="bottom">Materials</td><td width="17.088607594936708%" valign="bottom">AI Capabilities &amp; Technology</td><td width="16.139240506329113%" valign="bottom">Applications</td><td width="16.455696202531644%" valign="bottom">Command &amp; Agility</td></tr><tr><td width="12.341772151898734%">Optimus</td><td width="13.291139240506329%">Tesla&nbsp;</td><td width="11.550632911392405%">Replace humans in manufacturing operations for repetitive and dangerous tasks</td><td width="13.132911392405063%">Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK)</td><td width="17.088607594936708%">Tesla-designed actuators and sensors</td><td width="16.139240506329113%">Manufacturing support and training</td><td width="16.455696202531644%">Carrying capacity of 20kg, can dance, boil eggs, do squats</td></tr><tr><td width="12.341772151898734%">Atlas</td><td width="13.291139240506329%">Boston Dynamics</td><td width="11.550632911392405%">Navigate and manipulate environments with human-like agility</td><td width="13.132911392405063%">Titanium and aluminum&nbsp;</td><td width="17.088607594936708%">Precise navigation, execution of complex tasks in varied terrains</td><td width="16.139240506329113%">Search and rescue, exploration, logistics</td><td width="16.455696202531644%">Responsive to commands, capable of running, jumping, performing backflips</td></tr><tr><td width="12.341772151898734%">NAO</td><td width="13.291139240506329%">Aldebaran</td><td width="11.550632911392405%">Human interaction and educational support</td><td width="13.132911392405063%">Polycarbonate-ABS plastic, polyamide, and carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic</td><td width="17.088607594936708%">Conversational AI, personalized interaction based on facial recognition, collect information&nbsp;</td><td width="16.139240506329113%">Education, research, healthcare</td><td width="16.455696202531644%">Walk, dance, speak, and recognize faces and objects</td></tr><tr><td width="12.341772151898734%">Ameca</td><td width="13.291139240506329%">Engineered Arts</td><td width="11.550632911392405%">Development platform for testing AI and machine learning systems</td><td width="13.132911392405063%">Mesmer technology</td><td width="17.088607594936708%">Process complex data, recognize faces, comprehend speech, and adapt to different scenarios</td><td width="16.139240506329113%">Human interaction, a platform for developing AI</td><td width="16.455696202531644%">Advanced facial expression and human-like interactions</td></tr></tbody></table>&nbsp;<h2>Conclusion: The Pioneers of Humanoid Robotics - A Unified Perspective</h2>The exploration of Optimus, Atlas, NAO, and Ameca highlights the remarkable journey and achievements in humanoid robotics. Each robot, distinct in its capabilities and applications, contributes uniquely to the field. From Ameca's social interactions to Atlas's agility, NAO's educational support, and Optimus's manufacturing utility, these pioneers embody the diverse potential of robotics.Their materiality and design philosophies are tailored to specific applications, showcasing innovation in construction and functionality. The AI and technological advancements across these robots cover a broad spectrum, enabling them to perform tasks ranging from basic interactions to complex, autonomous problem-solving. Their deployment in healthcare, customer service, manufacturing exploration, and emergency response illustrates the expanding role of robotics in meeting intricate human needs.The integration of sophisticated command systems and remarkable agility demonstrates the evolving interface between humans and machines, pushing the boundaries of what humanoid robots can achieve. This unified perspective underlines the transformative impact of humanoid robotics, promising a future where their presence becomes an integral part of daily life and complex problem-solving across various sectors.

Exploring innovations, capabilities, and the future of robotic companions

A quick engineering comparison of cutting-edge humanoid robots

In this episode, we discuss research coming out of Columbia University to better connect humans with robots by having them detect, process, and respond to facial expressions!

Podcast: Finally! A Humanoid Robot You Can Trust

This article was discussed in our <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/f153920a-aca0-4937-863a-2cc925d11434?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-gtm-yt-inspected-9="true" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> The full article will continue below.<hr>Columbia engineers build Emo, a silicon-clad robotic face that makes eye contact and uses two AI models to anticipate and replicate a person’s smile before the person actually smiles -- a major advance in robots predicting human facial expressions accurately, improving interactions, and building trust between humans and robots.<section id="isPasted">What would you do if you walked up to a robot with a human-like head and it smiled at you first? You’d likely smile back and perhaps feel the two of you were genuinely interacting. But how does a robot know how to do this? Or a better question, how does it know to get you to smile back?While we’re getting accustomed to robots that are adept at verbal communication, thanks in part to advancements in large language models like ChatGPT, their nonverbal communication skills, especially facial expressions, have lagged far behind. Designing a robot that can not only make a wide range of facial expressions but also know when to use them has been a daunting task.&nbsp;</section><section><h2>Tackling the challenge</h2>The <a href="http://engineering.columbia.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Creative Machines Lab</a> at <a href="http://engineering.columbia.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Columbia Engineering</a> has been working on this challenge for more than five years. In a new study published today in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.adi4724" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Science Robotics</a>, the group unveils Emo, a robot that anticipates facial expressions and executes them simultaneously with a human. It has even learned to predict a forthcoming smile about 840 milliseconds before the person smiles, and to co-express the smile simultaneously with the person.The team, led by <a href="https://www.engineering.columbia.edu/faculty/hod-lipson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hod Lipson</a>, a leading researcher in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, faced two challenges: how to mechanically design an expressively versatile robotic face which involves complex hardware and actuation mechanisms, and knowing which expression to generate so that they appear natural, timely, and genuine. The team proposed training a robot to anticipate future facial expressions in humans and execute them simultaneously with a person. The timing of these expressions was critical -- delayed facial mimicry looks disingenuous, but facial co-expression feels more genuine since it requires correctly inferring the human's emotional state for timely execution.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzExNTg1NTM0ODUxLXl1aGFuZy1odWEtb2YtY3JlYXRpdmUtbWFjaGluZXMtbGFiLWZhY2UtdG8tZmFjZS13aXRoLWVtby5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Yuhang Hu of Creative Machines Lab face-to-face with Emo. Image: Courtesy of Creative Machines Lab<h2 id="isPasted">How Emo connects with you</h2>Emo is a human-like head with a face that is equipped with 26 actuators that enable a broad range of nuanced facial expressions. The head is covered with a soft silicone skin with a magnetic attachment system, allowing for easy customization and quick maintenance. For more lifelike interactions, the researchers integrated high-resolution cameras within the pupil of each eye, enabling Emo to make eye contact, crucial for nonverbal communication.The team developed two AI models: one that predicts human facial expressions by analyzing subtle changes in the target face and another that generates motor commands using the corresponding facial expressions.To train the robot how to make facial expressions, the researchers put Emo in front of the camera and let it do random movements. After a few hours, the robot learned the relationship between their facial expressions and the motor commands -- much the way humans practice facial expressions by looking in the mirror. This is what the team calls “self modeling” – similar to our human ability to imagine what we look like when we make certain expressions.Then the team ran videos of human facial expressions for Emo to observe them frame by frame. After training, which lasts a few hours, Emo could predict people’s facial expressions by observing tiny changes in their faces as they begin to form an intent to smile.“I think predicting human facial expressions accurately is a revolution in HRI. Traditionally, robots have not been designed to consider humans' expressions during interactions. Now, the robot can integrate human facial expressions as feedback,” said the study’s lead author Yuhang Hu, who is a PhD student at Columbia Engineering in Lipson’s lab. “When a robot makes co-expressions with people in real-time, it not only improves the interaction quality but also helps in building trust between humans and robots. In the future, when interacting with a robot, it will observe and interpret your facial expressions, just like a real person.”<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pWTTzR_wXuQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-9="true" id="556492795" title="Human-Robot Facial Co-expression">&nbsp;</iframe>Go inside the Creative Machines Lab to watch Emo's facial co-expression. Video Credit: Yuhang Hu, Columbia Engineering<h2 id="isPasted">What’s next</h2>The researchers are now working to integrate verbal communication, using a large language model like ChatGPT into Emo. As robots become more capable of behaving like humans, Lipson is well aware of the ethical considerations associated with this new technology.“Although this capability heralds a plethora of positive applications, ranging from home assistants to educational aids, it is incumbent upon developers and users to exercise prudence and ethical considerations,” says Lipson, James and Sally Scapa Professor of Innovation in the Department of <a href="https://www.me.columbia.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mechanical Engineering</a> at Columbia Engineering, co-director of the <a href="https://make.columbia.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Makerspace</a> at Columbia, and a member of the <a href="https://datascience.columbia.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Data Science Institute</a>. “But it’s also very exciting -- by advancing robots that can interpret and mimic human expressions accurately, we're moving closer to a future where robots can seamlessly integrate into our daily lives, offering companionship, assistance, and even empathy. Imagine a world where interacting with a robot feels as natural and comfortable as talking to a friend.”&nbsp;</section>

The study's lead author, Yuhang Hu, a PhD student at Columbia Engineering in Hod Lipson’s lab. Credit: John Abbott/Columbia Engineering

Columbia engineers build Emo, a silicon-clad robotic face that makes eye contact and uses two AI models to anticipate and replicate a person’s smile before the person actually smiles 

Robot, can you say 'Cheese'?

Just a year ago, on November 29, 2022, Enchanted Tools announced its entrance into the world of robotics with the introduction of its humanoid robot, Mirokaï. With the goal of producing 100,000 robots by 2032, Enchanted Tools' engineers are working tirelessly to bring their dream to life. Miroki has traveled from Paris to Las Vegas to Tokyo, gaining popularity and acclaim along the way. Laurent Vasse, Enchanted Tools' Industrial Director, shared the resources and technological support provided by maxon teams to help meet these challenges.<h2 dir="ltr">Enchanted Tools: useful robots to re-enchant the world.</h2>Enchanted Tools is a start-up with the goal of transforming the field of robotics. To make this possible, they have developed robot-characters called Mirokaï, which weigh 28kg and stand at 1.23m tall. These robots are designed to be both endearing and useful, with a unique appearance that combines animal and manga characteristics. The Mirokaï serve three main purposes.<ul><li dir="ltr">Move autonomously, thanks to an orbital globe on which they are perched.</li><li dir="ltr">Grip objects, using a universal handle that gives them a 97% success rate.</li><li dir="ltr">Interact with humans, in a timely manner, by being able to understand and execute voice commands.&nbsp;</li></ul><blockquote><blockquote>"The Mirokaï have been designed with simplification in mind: simplifying input, simplifying navigation and simplifying interaction, to help those who help on a daily basis, while providing ethical answers to today's robotics and AI challenges." says Jérôme Monceaux, CEO of Enchanted Tools.</blockquote></blockquote>Mirokaï robots are capable of carrying loads up to 3kg, which makes them suitable for various sectors such as hospitals, hotels, airports, and restaurants. These robots can relieve staff from performing the most tedious and physically demanding logistical tasks. What sets these robots apart from others is their animation-inspired design, and they are programmed to interact with people emotionally to enhance their adaptability.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAyNTAzNTczODU4LVNlzIFxdWVuY2UgMTEuMDBfMjhfMTNfMjcucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The Mirokaï robot character weighs 28kg and is 1.23m tall.<blockquote>“Since the first prototype was presented to the press, we have successfully developed a dozen demonstrators, which have enabled us to validate the robot’s impact, particularly with the help of healthcare professionals.” explains Laurent Vasse, Industrial Director at Enchanted Tools.</blockquote>Enchanted Tools' 70 engineers are now moving on to industrialization after a phase of concurrent engineering to strike the perfect balance between time-to-market, performance, and price.Open urban factory project to revolutionize robotic industrializationIn 2024, the Mirokaï will become a reality as the first pilot line is implemented. This will allow the production of approximately 50 robots by the end of the year. Previously, the R&amp;D engineers had designed and assembled demonstrators in the R&amp;D offices. However, with the introduction of the pilot line, the robot assembly process can be designed under conditions that closely mimic the industrial model. Laurent Vasse provided this information.Enchanted Tools is planning to open a factory in the heart of Paris. The company wants to show that robotics can re-enchant the world instead of dehumanizing it. The factory will not only produce robots but also introduce the world of robotics, mechatronics, and AI to people. According to Laurent Vasse, the company's goal is to change people's beliefs about this industry and democratize it. They hope to inspire people to pursue careers in this field as well.Within the factory Enchanted Tools there will be a broad range of activities and opportunities for engagement. Including:&nbsp;<ul><li dir="ltr">Industrial area,&nbsp;where assembly operations can be mastered.</li><li dir="ltr">Maintenance and assistance, where Enchanted Tools customers can benefit from the support they need once the robots are on the market.</li><li dir="ltr">R&amp;D&nbsp;Centre&nbsp;where Enchanted Tools engineers further develop the company's know-how.</li></ul>The factory is scheduled to open its doors in the summer of 2024, when all media attention will be focused on Paris, for the Olympic Games."We imagined this concept of an urban factory as one that could be replicated in other parts of the world, where we encounter the same issues of development, brand awareness, and robot maintenance. We therefore plan to duplicate this concept in North America, China, or Japan, to support our commercial development with this type of entity, which will combine all the skills we need to deploy in these regions" further explains Laurent Vasse.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAyNTAzNzkwNTM4LW1heG9uIEVuY2hhbnRlZCBUb29scyBCdXJlYXUgZXR1ZGVzIDIucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">maxon Engineers worked closely with the Enchanted Tools team to solve technical challenges.<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">100,000 robots in 10 years</h2>The pilot-line aims to produce around 50 robots in 2024, then 200 - 300 units in 2025. From 2026 onwards, Enchanted Tools is set to use a larger factory to produce a thousand robots a year, then ramp up production to 100,000 robots by 2032. "From the start, our goal has been to produce robots in large quantities, on a massive scale. This means having working methods, in terms of development and industrialization, that are revolutionary for the world of robotics”, explains Laurent Vasse. For the teams at Enchanted Tools, the challenge is to find the right balance between improving control and retaining a form of agility. In other words, Enchanted Tools strives to retain the flexibility that is the strength of start-ups, while applying robust methodologies worthy of more mature industries, to successfully initiate the industrialization phase.&nbsp;<blockquote>"To succeed in this challenge, we needed partners like maxon, capable of following us in this way, with excellent technological mastery and the ability to adapt and buildup in industrialization,", says Laurent Vasse, Industrial Director of Enchanted Tools.</blockquote><h2 dir="ltr">maxon x Enchanted Tools: strong collaboration brings the project to life.</h2>From the start of the project, Enchanted Tools' teams worked hand in hand with precision mechatronic system company, maxon France. Maxon assisted Enchanted Tool's to select the perfect drive system, size the products correctly, and customize certain elements according to the current and future needs of their project. "Right from the start, we were thinking in terms of industrialization and volume", says Kévin Schwartz, sales engineer for maxon France. He continues: "There's a huge gap between current production volumes and projections for the coming years. Thanks to the maxon group's industrial volumes and our production facilities, we were able to be extremely reactive, since these products were already in our catalog, and we were able to make the necessary customizations.”<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAyNTA0MDE3MTA5LU1heG9uIEZyYW5jZSAtIDI3IEp1aW4gMjAyMy00OTIuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The prototypes are tested against a variety of constraints.&nbsp;The maxon team then helped Enchanted Tools with product sizing and the choice of motorization ranges, taking into account the technical constraints and very tight deadlines required to present this new robot. EC-i 40 motors with planetary gearboxes were chosen for the Ball Bot, while ECX brushless motors with a diameter of 22mm are used for the orbital axes.To control industrialization, the maxon and Enchanted Tools project teams worked on different categories of prototypes (A, B and C). Each prototype is tested against functional, design, service life, and normative constraints, moving toward the final product and production, this approach enables the teams to anticipate the product's maturity.&nbsp;<blockquote>"The advantage of this approach is that it's robust when it comes to mass production. We go through all the design validation stages, to eliminate as many risks as possible, and then be able to calmly launch large volumes for industrialization", adds Kévin Schwartz.</blockquote>Thanks to the technological support provided by <a href="https://www.maxongroup.fr/maxon/view/content/index" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">maxon France</a>, the Enchanted Tools teams were able to move ahead quickly with industrialization. This partnership is one crucial step towards the realization of the Mirokaï project, which is set to influence the robotics landscape.&nbsp;

A year ago, French company Enchanted Tools unveiled its prototype humanoid robot, Mirokaï. The ambitious team plans to produce 100,000 robots by 2032. 



Building a humanoid robot in under a year

Science fiction films portray the idea relatively simply: the terminator – who either tries to destroy or rescue humanity – is such a perfect humanoid robot that in most cases it is superior to humans. But how well do humanoid robots perform nowadays away from the cinema screen? Precisely this question is addressed by a new study drawn up by lead author Robert Riener, Professor of Sensory-Motor Systems at ETH Zurich and founder of the <a href="https://cybathlon.ethz.ch/en" target="_blank">Cybathlon</a>, that is being published today in the robotics journal Frontiers in Robotics and AI. &nbsp;<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u9nKDxvTMeY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe>Digit is a humanoid robot designed to move more dynamically than conventional robots. (Video: Agility Robotics)<h2>Comparing apples with apples</h2>The first scientific challenge was to develop criteria that permit a meaningful comparison between humans and machines. An industrial robot painting car bodies on a production line does this faster, for longer and more precisely than a human. It is especially developed for this but also does not have any other abilities.Riener therefore excluded such robots from the study: “We humans shape our environment according to our criteria and needs. If robots are to support us in a meaningful way, they need to work in this manmade environment. We therefore quickly arrived at robots that are similar to humans, at least anatomically.” It is for this reason that Riener exclusively examined humanoid robots for the study and integrated 27 relevant specimens into his research.Yet the researchers also defined certain selection criteria within this robot type. “For example, for a robot that has rollers rather than legs it would be fairly easy to roll faster than a human can run – but we didn’t want to compare apples with pears,” explains Riener. Only those robots were therefore selected that had two or four legs so that they were also able to climb steps. They also need to have a slim figure in order to pass through doors, and a certain height (at least 50 cm) with arms and hands (or extendable by arms and hands) so that they can also pick up objects on a tray or shelf. In order to be able to work with and support humans, they should also be quiet and not give off any exhaust emissions. &nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1699581467325-image1.imageformat.lightbox.1055172521.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">ANYmal is a four-legged robot for the inspection and maintenance of technical systems. (Photograph: Robotic Systems Lab / ETH Zurich)<h2 id="isPasted">Robots clearly better – in terms of components</h2>The initial result surprised even the researcher: if one compares the individual components of machines and humans such as microphones with ears, cameras with eyes or drive systems with muscles, the technical components always fare better in terms of key sensory-motor properties. These days, for instance, carbon fibres are used, which are harder than bones. If we disregard other properties of the human bone, such as the fact that it is self-healing, the technical solution is clearly superior in terms of mechanical features. The baffling thing, as the ETH professor explains, is as follows: “The question that arises is why we are not able today to construct a robot from these high-quality components that has better powers of movement and perception than humans.”Which brings us to the second result of this comprehensive study: if we consider the activities that humans and machines are asked to carry out, humans are generally superior to robots. Although humanoid robots are also able to walk and run, if we set walking or running speed in relation to body dimensions, weight or energy consumption, most robots are no longer able to keep pace. At 6.1 metres per second, robot MIT-Cheetah runs faster than a jogging human and accordingly lives up to its name. However, the four-legged robot has a high energy consumption (973 watts) and is also only deployed under laboratory conditions. Humans also significantly outperform robots in terms of endurance versus operating time. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Karate Kid with stiff joints<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1699581515083-image.imageformat.textdouble.19354851.jpg" style="width: 304px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Humanoid iCub in child size from 2009. (Photograph: IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia)</h2>Robots benefit for certain functions from their precision. “For example, when balancing on one leg, robots can easily stiffen their joints, while humans tend to wobble a bit – which costs considerably more energy. Robots can also precisely recognise their joint angles and repeat movements very accurately, which is pretty impressive and somewhat reminiscent of Karate Kid,” says Robert Riener.The results are more mixed for another movement function – picking up objects: while robots can pick up objects extremely quickly, they are not yet able to outdo us regarding our many different hand movements and the manipulative skills of our fingers. And another weakness of robots emerges with regard to various movements such as swimming, crawling and jumping as they are only able to perform some of these movements. By contrast, most humans are easily capable of performing and combining several of these movements. Playing football is cited in the new study as an example of this: machines are still a long way from dribbling, heading or analyse and interprete the strategy of the other players. &nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1699581594040-1699581594040.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2 id="isPasted">Robots can support us in the future</h2>Are humanoid robots today therefore still just a gimmick? “No, the progress made by robotics in recent years is incredible. We wish to have robots around us so that they can help us with difficult or dangerous tasks. However, our manmade environments are very complex, and it’s therefore not so easy for robots to function here autonomously and without error. Nevertheless, I’m confident that with the powerful technical components that are available we will soon be able to construct more intelligent robots that are capable of interacting with us humans better,” says Riener. An important next step according to Riener is to go to greater lengths in terms of system engineering and automatic control technology in order to combine the existing powerful components better.Deployment would then be conceivable, for example, in nursing and home care, the construction industry or in the household – i.e. wherever support is urgently needed in order to relieve staff and to support people with limited mobility, for instance.<hr><h2 id="isPasted">Reference</h2>Riener, R., Rabezzana, L., Zimmermann, Y: Do Robots Outperform Humans in Human-Centered Domains? Frontiers, Volume 10, November 2023, doi: <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frobt.2023.1223946/abstract" target="_blank">external page10.3389/frobt.2023.1223946</a>

A new ETH study compares 27 humanoid robots with humans and comes to the conclusion that while robots have better components, they are still not capable of achieving as much. However, according to the authors of the study, the machines are catching up.

Humans are far superior to robots

Unitree launched its first humanoid robot H1 on August 15. Showcasing six months of hard work, the H1 humanoid stands about 71 inches (1800mm) tall, but only weighs about 100 lbs (47kg) and boasts unmatched power.

Meet the Unitree H1: a humanoid general-purpose robot starts a new industrial revolution!

Although robots cannot replace human caregivers, they can provide support so that caregivers have more time to provide the personal, human touch. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum f&uuml;r Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) is testing various robotic care assistants in a series of projects. Although these robots were developed for spaceflight, they can also help with essential tasks on Earth.What activities will robots be allowed to take on in care in the future? How will it be ensured that people and their needs are always at the heart of technological advances? How can robotic assistance systems be used in retirement homes, private households and hospitals? Researchers from the <a href="https://www.dlr.de/content/en/institutes/institute-of-robotics-and-mechatronics.html" target="_blank" title="Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics">DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics</a> in <a href="https://www.dlr.de/content/en/sites/oberpfaffenhofen.html" target="_blank" title="Oberpfaffenhofen">Oberpfaffenhofen</a> are investigating these questions in the SMiLE (Service Robotics for People in Living Situations with Limitations; Servicerobotik f&uuml;r Menschen in Lebenssituationen mit Einschr&auml;nkungen) Project. &quot;Robotic care assistants are intended, on the one hand, to relieve the burden on care staff and, on the other, to provide those affected with a greater degree of independence in their everyday lives. In this way, the robots can make a decisive contribution to improving the quality of life and communication with relatives and caregivers,&quot; explains project manager J&ouml;rn Vogel.<h2>Three assistance systems: Rollin&#39; Justin, EDAN and HUG</h2>A humanoid service robot can serve as a helping hand for an elderly person. A person with severe mobility impairments is more likely to use a robotic chair. There is also an interface between the systems. Several systems are being prepared for optimal human assistance.<ul><li><a href="https://www.dlr.de/rm/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-11427/#gallery/35411" target="_blank" title="External link Robot Rollin Justin">Rollin&lsquo; Justin</a> is a humanoid, two-armed, mobile home assistance robot. It monitors its environment via sensors and cameras and evaluates this information. Its lightweight arms enable sensitive interaction with the environment. Rollin&#39; Justin uses artificial intelligence (AI) to plan its workflows autonomously.</li><li><a href="http://www.dlr.de/rm/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-11670/#gallery/28208" target="_blank" title="External link EDAN">EDAN</a> is a wheelchair with a lightweight robotic arm and hand. It is moved with a joystick or via muscle signals measured directly on the surface of the person&#39;s skin. EDAN and Rollin&#39; Justin can also be moved by relatives via smartphones or tablets. Remote control from a care control centre is possible.</li><li><a href="https://www.dlr.de/rm/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-11704/#gallery/34276" target="_blank" title="External link Roboter HUG">HUG</a> is a haptic input station with two lightweight arms for remote robot control. HUG measures human movements, uses them as signals, and relays them in this way. At the same time, the user feels the exact forces that the robot senses. In this way, EDAN and Rollin&#39; Justin can also be controlled easily and intuitively.</li></ul>In everyday life, for example, EDAN with its robotic arm could help to significantly increase the independence of people with severe motor impairments. Rollin&#39; Justin could perform pick-up and drop-off services in a care facility. For unusual or difficult tasks, trained caregivers from a control centre would be able to quickly assist those in need of care via HUG.<hr><h3 id="isPasted">Focus on safe human-robot interaction </h3>Robotic technologies have long been part of our everyday lives. Simple systems include vacuum cleaner robots or autonomous lawn mowing robots. The use of mobile service robots represents a next step. Equipped with arms and hands, these robots can react to their environment. These developments are possible because modern lightweight robot technology offers safe human-robot interaction. Classic industrial robot arms, such as those used in the automotive industry, must always be operated behind barriers for safety reasons. Modern lightweight robots, on the other hand, are sensitive to physical contact with humans or the environment.The <a href="https://www.dlr.de/rm/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-12464/21732_read-44586/" target="_blank" title="External link Story of the Lightweight Robot LBR">LBR Light-weight Robot</a> developed at DLR almost 20 years ago represented an important milestone in this field. It can sense and control its interaction with the environment through joint torque sensors. This additional information makes it possible for the robot to behave in an actively compliant and thus safe manner, similar to a human arm &ndash; an essential requirement for use in the direct environment of humans.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1661775337601-success-story-lightweight-robot-lbr.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The first prototype (left) of the LBR was developed in the mid-1990s. The technology of the third generation from 2003 (right) was licensed to the company KUKA. Originally intended as a lightweight robotic arm for space applications, DLR robotics technology forms the basis for many other robotic systems and also serves as a pioneer for safe human-robot interaction. Credit: DLR (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

Although robots cannot replace human caregivers, they can provide support so that caregivers have more time to provide the personal, human touch.

Robots for people in need of care

While our facial expressions play a huge role in building trust, most robots still sport the blank and static visage of a professional poker player. With the increasing use of robots in locations where robots and humans need to work closely together, from nursing homes to warehouses and factories, the need for a more responsive, facially realistic robot is growing more urgent.Long interested in the interactions between robots and humans, researchers in the <a href="https://www.creativemachineslab.com/" target="_blank">Creative Machines Lab</a> at Columbia Engineering have been working for five years to create <a href="http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~bchen/aiface/" target="_blank">EVA</a>, a new autonomous robot with a soft and expressive face that responds to match the expressions of nearby humans. The <a href="http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~bchen/aiface/" target="_blank">research</a> will be presented at the <a href="https://www.ieee-icra.org/" target="_blank">ICRA conference</a> on May 30, 2021, and the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067220300262" target="_blank">robot blueprints</a> are open-sourced on Hardware-X (April 2021).“The idea for EVA took shape a few years ago, when my students and I began to notice that the robots in our lab were staring back at us through plastic, googly eyes,” said <a href="https://engineering.columbia.edu/faculty/hod-lipson" target="_blank">Hod Lipson</a>, James and Sally Scapa Professor of Innovation (<a href="https://me.columbia.edu/" target="_blank">Mechanical Engineering</a>) and director of the Creative Machines Lab.<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1622243314643-robotsmile_template.jpg" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The Robot Smiles Back: Eva mimics human facial expressions in real-time from a living stream camera. The entire system is learned without human labels. Eva learns two essential capabilities: 1) anticipating what itself would look like if it were making an observed facial expression, known as self-image; 2) map its imagined face to physical actions. <style type="text/css"></style><style type="text/css"></style>&nbsp;Image And Video Credit: Creative Machines Lab/Columbia Engineering&nbsp;Lipson observed a similar trend in the grocery store, where he encountered restocking robots wearing name badges, and in one case, decked out in a cozy, hand-knit cap. “People seemed to be humanizing their robotic colleagues by giving them eyes, an identity, or a name,” he said. “This made us wonder, if eyes and clothing work, why not make a robot that has a super-expressive and responsive human face?”</div>While this sounds simple, creating a convincing robotic face has been a formidable challenge for roboticists. For decades, robotic body parts have been made of metal or hard plastic, materials that were too stiff to flow and move the way human tissue does. Robotic hardware has been similarly crude and difficult to work with—circuits, sensors, and motors are heavy, power-intensive, and bulky.The first phase of the project began in Lipson’s lab several years ago when undergraduate student Zanwar Faraj led a team of students in building the robot’s physical “machinery.” They constructed EVA as a disembodied bust that bears a strong resemblance to the silent but facially animated performers of the Blue Man Group. EVA can express the six basic emotions of anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, and surprise, as well as an array of more nuanced emotions, by using artificial “muscles” (i.e. cables and motors) that pull on specific points on EVA’s face, mimicking the movements of the more than 42 tiny muscles attached at various points to the skin and bones of human faces.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1vBLI-q04kM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 788px; height: 447px;"></iframe>Overview video of the presented research, with narration.&nbsp;“The greatest challenge in creating EVA was designing a system that was compact enough to fit inside the confines of a human skull while still being functional enough to produce a wide range of facial expressions,” Faraj noted.To overcome this challenge, the team relied heavily on 3D printing to manufacture parts with complex shapes that integrated seamlessly and efficiently with EVA’s skull. After weeks of tugging cables to make EVA smile, frown, or look upset, the team noticed that EVA’s blue, disembodied face could elicit emotional responses from their lab mates. “I was minding my own business one day when EVA suddenly gave me a big, friendly smile,” Lipson recalled. “I knew it was purely mechanical, but I found myself reflexively smiling back.”Once the team was satisfied with EVA’s “mechanics,” they began to address the project’s second major phase: programming the artificial intelligence that would guide EVA’s facial movements. While lifelike animatronic robots have been in use at theme parks and in movie studios for years, Lipson’s team made two technological advances. EVA uses deep learning artificial intelligence to “read” and then mirror the expressions on nearby human faces. And EVA’s ability to mimic a wide range of different human facial expressions is learned by trial and error from watching videos of itself.The most difficult human activities to automate involve non-repetitive physical movements that take place in complicated social settings. <a href="http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~bchen/" target="_blank">Boyuan Chen</a>, Lipson’s PhD student who led the software phase of the project, quickly realized that EVA’s facial movements were too complex a process to be governed by pre-defined sets of rules. To tackle this challenge, Chen and a second team of students created EVA’s brain using several Deep Learning neural networks. The robot’s brain needed to master two capabilities: First, to learn to use its own complex system of mechanical muscles to generate any particular facial expression, and, second, to know which faces to make by “reading” the faces of humans.To teach EVA what its own face looked like, Chen and team filmed hours of footage of EVA making a series of random faces. Then, like a human watching herself on Zoom, EVA’s internal neural networks learned to pair muscle motion with the video footage of its own face. Now that EVA had a primitive sense of how its own face worked (known as a “self-image”), it used a second network to match its own self-image with the image of a human face captured on its video camera. After several refinements and iterations, EVA acquired the ability to read human face gestures from a camera, and to respond by mirroring that human’s facial expression.The researchers note that EVA is a laboratory experiment, and mimicry alone is still a far cry from the complex ways in which humans communicate using facial expressions. But such enabling technologies could someday have beneficial, real-world applications. For example, robots capable of responding to a wide variety of human body language would be useful in workplaces, hospitals, schools, and homes.“There is a limit to how much we humans can engage emotionally with cloud-based chatbots or disembodied smart-home speakers,” said Lipson. “Our brains seem to respond well to robots that have some kind of recognizable physical presence.”Added Chen, “Robots are intertwined in our lives in a growing number of ways, so building trust between humans and machines is increasingly important.”

Data Collection Process: Eva is practicing random facial expressions by recording what it looks like from the front camera.  Image And Video Credit: Creative Machines Lab/Columbia Engineering

Columbia Engineering researchers use AI to teach robots to make appropriate reactive human facial expressions, an ability that could build trust between humans and their robotic co-workers and care-givers