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Introduction
Humanoid robots are rapidly evolving from experimental technology to practical tools that may soon become part of our everyday lives. In recent years, we've seen a significant acceleration in the development of these extraordinary machines, driven by advances in artificial intelligence and engineering. Here's how humanoid robots are set to transform our homes - and our future.
Home Assistants: A Technological Revolution at Home
Humanoid robots are poised to make household management simpler and more efficient. Tesla Optimus, developed by Elon Musk's Tesla, can perform domestic tasks such as folding shirts, recognizing faces, and responding to voice commands. Recently, Musk announced that field testing for Optimus is progressing rapidly, with mass production expected to begin by 2027. With a current estimated price between $20,000 and $30,000, Optimus is set to usher in a new era of home automation—and beyond.
Other emerging options include the G1 robot by Chinese company Unitree, capable of carrying groceries and cleaning, priced around $16,000. For those interested in a "robotic pet," Unitree also offers robot dogs for $2,600- an appealing alternative for companionship without responsibility. Companies like Xiaomi and Agility Robotics are also planning to launch their own humanoid robot models by 2025.
The Arrival of Robotic Athletes
H
umanoid robots are not just limited to household chores. CUE, developed by Toyota, is a robot designed to play basketball and showcases how robotics can transcend traditional limitations. Standing at 2.08 meters, CUE set a world record with a 24.55-meter basketball shot, highlighting the impressive accuracy robots can achieve.
Each generation of CUE has introduced new capabilities - CUE4 could pick up the ball, while CUE5 learned to dribble. Although these advancements are still experimental, they serve as valuable testbeds for technologies that could be applied in fields like logistics, entertainment, and medicine. According to Tomohiro Nomi, project lead, CUE is a platform for developing skills and systems that may soon find real-world applications.
Conclusion
Over the next five years, humanoid robots are expected to become increasingly accessible and prevalent in everyday life. Costs are likely to decrease thanks to mass production and the use of advanced hardware and software - such as NVIDIA processors and intelligent systems developed by OpenAI and Google.
These robots will be capable of performing complex and collaborative tasks, revolutionizing not only homes, but also industries such as healthcare, education, logistics, and entertainment.
Imagine a home where multiple robots collaborate to cook, clean, or organize your day - freeing up time for more meaningful human activities. From household assistants like Tesla Optimus and Unitree G1 to experimental robotics like Toyota’s CUE, these machines are the frontier of a new technological age.
The question is no longer if humanoid robots will become part of our lives, but how we will use them. The next five years will be critical in turning these visions into reality.
This article is adapted from episode #3 of the weekly series L’hAI Sentito? – Tech News Bite, hosted by Antonio Venece, Director of Geeks Academy, and broadcast every Wednesday on Channel 14 of Italian terrestrial TV