The broad deployment of humanoid automatons in manufacturing and service sectors is postponed indefinitely due to technological hurdles. Substantial capital infusions into the industry have not yet resulted in versatile machines capable of operating alongside people, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Hundreds of Digit robots from Agility Robotics are currently operating in Amazon warehouses, but their functions are limited to moving boxes. The company’s CTO, Pranav Velagapudi, acknowledges that creating a butler or domestic helper robot is beyond the capacity of current technology. Existing designs are not dependable enough for intricate tasks.
“We are striving not merely to build a man-like robot, but a humanoid robot that performs valuable work,” stated Agility Robotics CTO Pranav Velagapudi.
The primary obstacle remains safety. Out of every $100 invested in robot implementation, $80 is allocated to human protection systems and barrier installation. A robot’s capability to clean restrooms or execute delicate household chores is considered one of the most difficult and currently unsolved challenges.
The sector is also burdened by a scarcity of data for AI training and inflated hopes fueled by bold proclamations, such as those from Elon Musk. Meanwhile, investors have poured approximately $5 billion into humanoid robot development just this year.
Experts suggest that the very concept of mimicking the human body might be flawed. In industry, where efficiency and strength are paramount, it is often more advantageous to employ robots with alternative kinematics—for instance, those with four arms or pneumatic grippers instead of fingers.
“Zhukovsky.Life” previously reported that the market is seeking new models. For example, China has launched the BotShare service for hourly rental of humanoid robots, akin to power bank lending. This platform, established by AgiBot, is slated for expansion to over 200 cities. There, the robots are also finding niche industrial uses: AgiBot supplies them to an auto-component factory, and GalBot secured an order for 100 units for warehousing and quality inspection.
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