LONDON: This humanoid robot is heading to work in warehouses

LONDON: From Terminator to Westworld, stories of humanoid robots have
remained a persistent theme in science fiction. These films raise important
questions about ethics, labor and humankind’s ability to control the
technologies we create.

Now,
humanoid robots are closer than ever to becoming part of the fabric of society.
Agility Robotics CTO Jonathan Hurst has told CNET that his company’s humanoid
robot Digit is being deployed “in the next two years,” with plans for
Digit to join the workforce.

He said
the rollout of Digit will begin in warehouses, where the robot will learn to
work alongside people in a structured environment. Next, Digit will learn to
unload to unload trailers. Eventually, the company hopes to see Digit
delivering packages to people’s doorstep.

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To help
it navigate different work environments, Digit is equipped with depth sensors
and lidar, which allows it to navigate different environments and plan its
steps to avoid obstacles.

Of
course, Digit isn’t the only humanoid robot making headlines. Boston Dynamics
has long captured our imaginations with Atlas,
its backflipping, somersaulting, acrobatic robot. Tesla has also thrown its hat
into the ring, saying it’s working on a humanoid robot named Tesla Bot.

When
asked how Digit stacks up to the competition, Hurst explains that Digit aims to
work with people, whereas Atlas is primarily a research robot. Digit is more
efficient, as most of its power draw comes from computing rather than
locomotion. Hurst also said that, while Tesla Bot hasn’t been built yet, it
seems to share similar goals to Digit in terms of integrating humanoid robots
into society.

A
spokesperson from Boston Dynamics confirmed that “Atlas is a research
platform [used] to develop new hardware and software technologies for
high-performance mobile robots” and that “the power drawn by the
actuation system is higher than the onboard computers for parkour
behaviors.” Tesla didn’t respond to a request for comment.

While
many sci-fi films have wrestled with the various concerns about shaping plastic
and metal into human form and animating them with electricity, Hurst’s vision
for a robot-populated world is much more benign. He shared his vision for a
future where delivery robots are bringing food to your door, helping around the
house, and even acting as telepresence robots for visiting friends and loved
ones far away.