Here is a link to an article showing several robots from last week’s robotics conference in Chicago.
The robots range from gracile dancing humanoids to robots with legs that resemble an animal’s legs (short thigh, knee that bends “backwards”) to robots with humanoid upper bodies (head, torso, arms) but wheeled base to robots that couldn’t be described as even vaguely humanoid. One manufacturer produces a wheeled base with the heavy battery in the base, so the center of gravity is low and the robot is very stable. Another points out the versatility of its fully humanoid robot which can hike on trails or into irregular, dangerous disaster sites. Chip designer Nvidia announced a new safety system for humanoids underpinned by its cutting-edge Blackwell chips since some humanoid robots are close to 200 pounds so a mistake could endanger a nearby human.
https://www.wsj.com/tech/the-quest-to-make-humanoid-robots-safe-enough-for-humans-4887c123?st=m3CfQW&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
METARs expressed many strong opinions in a very long thread a few months ago.
My practical takeaway is…everyone is right. The robot’s form should follow its function. If part of its function is the emotional response of humans it’s working around then humanoid form might be important. Otherwise, the optimal design might or might not be humanoid - depending on its function.
Robots are currently best targeted toward repetitive tasks that require strength. They are a long way from the fine motor skills and constantly-shifting tasks needed for taking care of the elderly and disabled.
Wendy
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This is not a war between machines and humanoid robots.
Origin of the word robot
GoogleAI:
The word “robot” comes from the Czech word robota, which translates to “forced labor” or “drudgery”. It first appeared in the 1920 science-fiction play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) by Czech author Karel Čapek. [1, 2, 3]
The Linguistic Journey
- The Root: The word robota derives from the Old Church Slavonic root rabu, which means “slave” or “servitude”. [1, 2]
- The Invention: Karel Čapek originally wanted to name the artificial beings in his play laboři (from the Latin word for work), but he found the term too bookish. On the advice of his brother, Josef Čapek, he used robot instead. [1, 2]
- The Context: In the early 20th-century Austro-Hungarian Empire, robota was commonly used to describe the compulsory, unpaid labor that serfs owed to their landlords. [1, 2]
The Evolution of the Meaning
When the play debuted, the “robots” were not metallic machines, but biologically engineered, artificial people created to serve humanity—which perfectly reflected the meaning of forced servitude. Over the decades, as science fiction and real-world technology progressed, the meaning evolved from “forced human worker” to “automated mechanical machine”. [1, 2, 3, 4]
For more historical details, you can read the Wikipedia Robot Etymology or explore the historical breakdown on Etymonline.
The Captain
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