GabyThe developers call the stainless-steel humanoid Phoenix. It was built by Sanctuary AI in Vancouver. The robot runs on electricity, stands just over 170 centimeters tall and weighs about 70 kilograms — roughly the size of an average adult. Phoenix can move at up to 5 km/h and carry loads up to 25 kilograms.
But that’s not all that makes the robot feel human. It handles household tasks as well as an experienced housekeeper or hotel maid. For example, it can wash floors, polish mirrors, stock the refrigerator, and put away groceries.
Dr. Jordi Rose, described as Phoenix’s “dad,” says that by the end of the decade robots will become indispensable assistants in millions of households. In the meantime, it’s learning new skills every day. That ability to learn is one way the robot is similar to humans.
The Daily Mail reported that early trials of Phoenix look promising. During testing in two supermarkets, the robot completed more than 100 different tasks and successfully handled about 40 percent of the operations human employees perform. In particular, Phoenix assembled, labeled, and packaged products and cleaned the stores.
Phoenix is getting smarter and more popular
The key to Phoenix’s success is its incredibly agile hands, capable of dozens of different manipulations and equipped with tactile sensors. The Carbon AI software helps the robot “think,” learn from a human operator, and carry out tasks autonomously.
But that’s not the limit. Dr. Rose says modern science is rapidly bringing humanoid artificial intelligence to life. At the current pace of innovation, humanoid robots will be far more advanced in just 10 years. “Every month, new developments in AI emerge worldwide that could fundamentally change this field,” he said.
Sanctuary AI believes humanoid robots will be a defining technological achievement of the 21st century and “as ubiquitous as cars.” The company plans to rent its Phoenix robots rather than sell them, offering rentals to private users and businesses where robots can help address labor shortages. Sanctuary AI notes that declining birth rates and an aging population are creating a shortage of workers. Currently there are 9.9 million unfilled jobs in the United States while only 5.8 million people are unemployed.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s Tesla is developing a competing robot called Optimus. Tesla says Optimus will be capable of handling the most complex tasks a human can do. Musk has suggested Optimus could be even more important than the cars his company produces.
