IT’S A VERY TOUGH AND RESILIENT ROBOTRobotics has advanced tremendously. We already have highly efficient machines designed for specific tasks: autonomous vehicles that glide effortlessly, robotic arms with surgical precision, and quadrupeds that can traverse any terrain without losing balance. Yet, one type of robot continues to dominate headlines and absorb an enormous amount of resources—bipedal humanoids.
Why the relentless push to make them walk like us? More than a technical necessity, there's a psychological factor at play. A human-shaped robot is perceived as more socially integrated, more trustworthy, and it aligns with the image that pop culture has been feeding us for decades. It doesn’t matter if they still stumble, struggle with stairs, or collapse from a simple push. What matters is that they remind us of ourselves.
The reality is that most of these robots don’t have a specific function. They are not designed to optimize any particular task but rather serve as experimental prototypes showcasing how far engineering can go in replicating human locomotion. But is this really the best path forward? While we pour time and money into making them walk like us, we could be developing far more functional machines without such a pointless limitation.
Maybe one day, we’ll move past our humanoid obsession and start designing robots that don’t need to look like us to be truly useful.
A journalist reports on the humanoid G1 robot from Unitree Robotics:
"It’s a very tough and resilient robot. Let’s put it to the test."
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