Latest news with #humanoid
Forbes
5 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
See A Flying Humanoid Robot Achieve Liftoff For The First Time
iRonCub lifts off with the help of four jet engines, two mounted on its arms and two on a jetpack ... More attached to its back. After two years of trial, error and persistence, an Italian robotics team finally watched as its humanoid bot did what it was designed to do — take to the air. As the below video shows, the jet-powered robot named iRonCub (yep, that's an Iron Man reference) lifted off the ground about 1.5 feet while maintaining its stability. It's still early days in the prototype's flying career, but iRonCub's creators say its first flight this spring could pave the way for humanoid robots that switch between terrestrial navigation and aerial mobility when operating in extreme terrain and environments devastated by natural disasters. 'This first flight has been a long journey for us,' Daniele Pucci, director of artificial and mechanical intelligence at the Italian Institute of Technology, said in an email. Pucci co-authored a new research paper in the open-access journal Open Engineering detailing how the team modeled and controlled the robot's aerodynamics and validated their approach through wind tunnel experiments in which iRonCub hovered and performed controlled flight maneuvers amid high-speed gusts and extreme temperatures. In wind tunnel tests at the DAER Aerodynamics Laboratory of Polytechnic of Milan, iRonCub stayed ... More stable amid high-speed, turbulent gusts. Researchers worldwide are already focusing on multimodal robots that can adjust to their environments and access sites too hazardous or difficult for humans to reach. So what's the benefit of equipping such robots with human-like arms, legs and hands? In emergency and disaster scenarios, many critical access points are built with human ergonomics in mind, including doors, gas valves, ladders, switches and handles, Pucci and fellow researchers Davidi Gorbani and Antonello Paolino said in a joint written response to my questions. 'A humanoid robot, therefore, is inherently well-suited to interact with these human-centric systems, navigating staircases, narrow corridors, or uneven terrains, and directly manipulating objects designed for human hands.' iRonCub evolved from iCub, an earlier research-grade robot out of the Italian Institute of Technology that was designed to help develop and test embodied AI algorithms, and which currently is available for sale. iCub's flying cousin is equipped with AI-powered control systems — developed in collaboration with Gianluca Iaccarino's mechanical engineering group at Stanford University — and lifts off with the help of four jet engines, two mounted on its arms and two on a jetpack attached to its back. With jet engines attached, the robot weighs around 154 pounds. To protect it from the force and heat produced by the engines, iCub got upgraded with a titanium spine and heat-resistant covers. While the video shows iRonCub attached to a harness for safety and remaining comfortably close to terra firma, reaching this milestone posed significant design and engineering challenges. Its movable limbs complicate the aerodynamics, and gases emitted from the wind turbines exceed 1,200 degrees and flow at nearly the speed of sound. 'Controlling these robots in flight is fascinating yet dangerous, and there's no room for improvisation,' Pucci, Gorbani and Paolino said. 'The complexity of safely managing combustion, heat dissipation and high-speed airflow demands meticulous, multidisciplinary co-design strategies, simultaneously optimizing the robot's physical shape, materials, control algorithms and propulsion system placement.' Next up for iRonCub will be further flight tests, some at the Genoa Airport, which is setting up a dedicated area for robo-flights where it can hopefully practice untethered liftoffs. The robot may not be Tony Stark yet, but the team envisions a day when we will see it flying over obstacles like floods and fires and landing safely amid unstable debris — like a real-life superhero.
Forbes
12-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Meet The Humanoid Robot Designed To Clean Your Hotel Room
The Zerith H1 restocks amenities in a hotel shower. It can also clean floors and pick up towels and ... More clothes. Next time you toss used towels onto the floor of your hotel room, it could be a housekeeping robot scooping them up. Meet Zerith H1, a humanoid robot designed specifically for the hospitality industry. The bot can autonomously clean floors, restock amenities and even scrub toilets with a brush. Chinese startup Zerith Robotics, founded in January with a focus on the large-scale deployment of humanoids, says the H1 has the power to transform the hospitality industry, which took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel sharply declined and holing up at home became the norm, leading many laid-off or furloughed employees to ditch the industry for more secure jobs. The American Hotel & Lodging Association's 2025 annual state of the industry report indicates that the industry is still short some 200,000 workers from pre-pandemic levels. Zerith H1 has a torso — height adjustable from ground level up to 6.5 feet — attached to a small base outfitted with flexible wheels. Its arms, with seven degrees of freedom, can lengthen to about 2.5 feet and be outfitted with dexterous robo-hands. It's equipped with artificial intelligence, sensors and depth cameras that allow it to avoid obstacles and navigate narrow hallways and rooms with various layouts. It has a battery life of four hours. Zerith Robotics recently posted a video showing the bot at work in a hotel bathroom — tossing towels in a laundry hamper like a pro, replenishing toiletries, tidying the counter and even filling a vase of flowers with fresh water from the sink. 'We chose the hospitality industry because our ultimate goal is to enter households,' Min Yuheng, founder of Zerith Robotics, said in an email. 'Hotels serve as an ideal standard scenario leading to homes, with clear demands and reusable data that can be applied to household settings.' Robotic devices have been vacuuming carpets, mopping floors and cleaning litter boxes for years now. But while companies from 1X to Tesla are working on humanoid robots to help with household chores, it's still unusual to see these androids roaming messy homes, brooms in their robo-hands. Zerith was jointly incubated by Tsinghua University and the Jianghuai Advanced Technology Center and has assembled experts in artificial intelligence and robotics from such companies as Baidu, TikTok owner ByteDance and iFlyTek, which supplies voice recognition software. The H1 housekeeping bot needs more training to adapt to diverse environments before it can infiltrate the home market, Yuheng said. Then there's the price. If Zerith ultimately envisions the H1 as a domestic helper, the bot's current tag of around $13,700 isn't exactly hospitable to the average consumer. A representative from the American Hotel & Lodging Association declined to comment on what housecleaning robots would mean for human workers, but acknowledged labor shortages in the sector. In a survey released earlier this year by the AHLA, nearly 65% of hotels polled continued to report staffing were most common in housekeeping, at 38%, followed by front desk roles, at 26%. Hotels also reported having trouble finding workers to fill culinary positions and maintenance roles. While hotels have yet to widely incorporate robots into their workforce, some have already started experimenting with them. Among these businesses are Seattle's Astra hotel, where Sparky the robot butler will happily deliver your room service order, and Yotel NYC in Times Square, where a 15-foot robotic arm hoists luggage into storage lockers in the lobby for travelers who want to walk around unburdened before or after checking in. But robots don't always make hotel life smoother for guests — at least not yet. In 2019, the 'world's first robot hotel' fired more than half of its 200-plus robot workers after guest complaints about technical difficulties made the machines more trouble than they were worth. One staff member reportedly said, 'It's easier now that we're not being frequently called by guests to help with problems with the robots.'
Fox News
02-06-2025
- General
- Fox News
Humanoid robot malfunctions, sparks viral panic
A chilling video circulating on social media has reignited old anxieties about robots turning against their creators. The footage shows a Unitree H1 humanoid robot, a machine about the size of an adult human, suddenly flailing its arms and legs with alarming force during a test, coming dangerously close to two technicians. The scene has sparked heated debate about the safety of advanced robotics and artificial intelligence. But is this truly the beginning of something out of our worst fears, or is there just a straightforward technical explanation for what happened? In the viral clip first posted on Reddit, the Unitree H1 is seen suspended from a crane at a Chinese factory, surrounded by two handlers. Without warning, the robot loses control, thrashing its limbs, knocking over equipment and forcing the technicians to scramble out of harm's way. The chaos is palpable, and the images quickly drew comparisons to movies like "The Terminator" and "I, Robot," with many viewers wondering if the age of rogue machines had finally arrived. The Unitree H1 is not a prototype but a commercially available, general-purpose humanoid robot. Standing 5.9 feet tall and weighing 104 pounds, it's designed to walk, run and even perform dynamic movements like backflips and dancing. Its joints are powerful and capable of generating 365 pound-feet of torque, enough to lift heavy objects or, in the wrong circumstances, cause serious harm. Despite the frightening visuals, the reality is far less sinister. According to engineers and robotics experts, the root cause of the malfunction was a combination of software and design oversight. During the test, the H1 was tethered by its head for safety, a common practice during public demonstrations. However, this physical restraint was not accounted for in the robot's balance algorithm. The robot's sensors interpreted the resistance from the tether as if it were constantly falling. In response, the H1's stabilization software tried to correct its position, but the tether prevented normal movement. This created a feedback loop: the robot made increasingly aggressive corrections, resulting in the violent flailing seen in the video. Investigators concluded that this was not a case of emergent AI behavior but rather a known failure mode triggered by an unanticipated physical constraint and software flaw. Although no one was seriously injured, the incident set off a wave of panic online. Many viewers saw the video without any technical context, fueling fears of a robot uprising. The imagery alone was enough to make people question whether advanced robots are safe to have around humans. Experts, however, were quick to clarify that the malfunction was not evidence of a conscious or rebellious machine. Instead, it highlighted the importance of thorough safety protocols and testing, especially when deploying powerful machines in environments shared with people. This event highlights some important lessons for both the robotics industry and the public. First, safety protocols are essential. Even with the most advanced hardware, unexpected interactions between software and the physical world can create dangerous situations. Second, transparency from manufacturers plays a crucial role. When companies provide quick and clear explanations, they can help prevent panic and stop misinformation from spreading. Finally, it is important to remember that artificial intelligence is not sentient, at least not yet. The Unitree H1's behavior was caused by programming and sensor misinterpretation, not by any independent thought or intent. The viral Unitree H1 video is a reminder that technology, especially when it's powerful and autonomous, demands respect and caution. While the footage is unsettling, the true story is one of technical error, not a robot rebellion. As robots become more common in our workplaces and public spaces, incidents like this will serve as important lessons for engineers, regulators and the public alike. For now, the machines are not plotting against us, but they do need careful supervision and thoughtful design to keep everyone safe. If you saw a robot lose control right in front of you, would you trust having machines like this in your daily life? Why or why not? Let us know by writing us at For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Follow Kurt on his social channels: Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions: New from Kurt: Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
Forbes
02-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Strategy Behind Hugging Face's Acquisition Of Pollen Robotics
Reachy 2 In April 2025, Hugging Face acquired Pollen Robotics, a France-based company that develops humanoid robots, including Reachy 2. This marks a milestone in the convergence of generative AI and robotics, known as physical AI. This article analyzes the strategic reasons behind Hugging Face's acquisition of Pollen Robotics. Hugging Face's acquisition of Pollen Robotics demonstrates a long-term vision for the future of AI technology, as it evolves from digital intelligence to physical form. The strategy is based on three core pillars: 1) Vertical integration of the AI-to-robotics stack 2) Ecosystem leverage through their massive developer community 3) Timing advantage as foundation models become capable of controlling physical systems. The acquisition gives Hugging Face immediate access to Pollen's flagship Reachy 2 humanoid robot, a $70,000 research platform already deployed at prestigious institutions such as Cornell University and Carnegie Mellon. With 7 degrees of freedom, bio-inspired arms capable of handling 3 kg payloads, advanced VR teleoperation and fully open-source hardware designs, the Pollen Robotics Reachy 2 offers a proven platform for Hugging Face to build upon instead of starting from scratch. The timing proves particularly strategic given several converging factors. Nvidia recently chose Hugging Face as the preferred platform for its GR00T N1 humanoid robot foundation models, signalling industry recognition of Hugging Face's platform capabilities. Meanwhile, the remarkable growth of Hugging Face's LeRobot library to over 12,000 GitHub stars in just 12 months demonstrated strong developer demand for open robotics tools. The acquisition also follows Hugging Face's strategic hire of Remi Cadene, a former Tesla Optimus engineer, who now leads their robotics division. While Hugging Face has emerged as the largest collection of open-source and open-weight models, Pollen Robotics focuses on the vision of open hardware for robotics. This acquisition combines the strengths of open-source software with open hardware design in the field of robotics. The embodied AI market has reached an inflection point where theoretical capabilities meet practical applications, driven by breakthroughs in foundation models for robotics and dramatic cost reductions in hardware components. AI models such as Pi0 from Hugging Face, Nvidia's GR00T N1 and Google's Gemini Robotics extend the power of generative AI to robotics. Instead of generating text or media content, these models are trained to send commands directly to the robotic hardware. They leverage multimodal AI by combining video content and policies to generate commands that control robots. The combination of Hugging Face's AI infrastructure and Pollen's robotics expertise creates technical synergies that neither company could achieve independently. Hugging Face brings 1.5 million models and datasets hosted on its platform, proven infrastructure serving 12 petabytes of data, and deep expertise in transformer architectures and diffusion models. This AI foundation provides the intelligence layer essential for next-generation robotics. Hugging Face's acquisition of Pollen Robotics represents more than a product expansion. It marks a fundamental shift in how AI and robotics will evolve together. By combining proven AI infrastructure with capable robotics hardware under an open-source philosophy, Hugging Face creates unique value that neither pure software nor pure hardware companies can replicate. The broader implications extend beyond corporate strategy. If Hugging Face succeeds in democratizing robotics as they've democratized AI, we may see an explosion of innovation similar to what followed the open-sourcing of deep learning frameworks.
South China Morning Post
21-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's army of robot makers jostle for attention in overcrowded market
Chinese robotics developers showcased their products at an exhibition in Guangzhou this week, as the market began to look like the country's electric vehicle industry a few years ago when hundreds of players battled for survival. Many of the firms at the Guangzhou International Intelligent Robot Exhibition, a three-day event with 800 exhibitors, have plans to achieve large-scale production this year, with many feeling upbeat after the US slashed tariffs as part of an agreement between Beijing and Washington. Robotic arm maker Li-Gong Industrial – based in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province – plans to produce 1,000 units of its first bipedal Lidian D1 humanoid, company account manager Marin Ma said at the exhibition. Launched in August 2024, the 170cm tall Lidian D1 is a general purpose machine that can be used for research, manufacturing and services. Robotic arms carry out packaging operations at the Global Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park in Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, April 17, 2025. Photo: Xinhua Ma said the product, now mainly used in manufacturing plants for applications such as car assembly, would be able to fulfil service needs in three years. Shenzhen DX Intech Technology, which develops robotic receptionists and tour guides, said it would reach a monthly production capacity of up to 200 units this year. The robots, which cannot walk, are able to talk and interact with humans, and can be made with a customised appearance. They have been adopted in Beijing's Forbidden City and Summer Palace, as well as in the airports of Shenzhen and Hangzhou, said Zhu Wen, DX Intech's channel director. The start-up is preparing to expand overseas, noting that distributors in the US are now more willing to negotiate on purchases given the lowered tariffs, Zhu said. Both firms showcased their products at the Guangzhou exhibition that kicked off on Wednesday. The event attracted more than 500 firms that provide the technology to power robots, smart manufacturing and smart warehousing.
