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The robots are coming? No, they’re already here!
Keeping a lawn you can be proud of is part of the American dream, but it makes you wonder if it’s worth the aches and pains and wasted weekends. Why not let a robot do it for you?
Robots have been part of our world for a long time. They help build cars, sort packages and fly airplanes. We have robots at home in the form of vacuum cleaners, pool cleaners and toys … remember Furby?
The world of bots is constantly evolving. Here are some bots you may not know about that are doing some fantastic things.
Robots to the rescue
Boston Dynamics went viral with videos of employees trying to knock down doglike robots. Since then, they’ve come a long way to bring us the humanoid robot Atlas.
Atlas can lift heavy weights, run, open doors, backflip, jump and even do parkour. It’s designed to aid emergency services in search and rescue operations and function in environments where humans can’t survive.
Good boy
Another one from Boston Dynamics, Spot, is a four-legged robot you can keep around your office, home or outside. It maps its environment, avoids obstacles, climbs stairs and opens doors. It can even fetch you a drink!
Holey Moley
That’s what you’ll say when you see this robot in action. Moley is an automated robot kitchen that prepares and cooks food while mimicking the movements of world-class chefs. Imagine showing off its veggie-slicing skills to your friends.
Moley even cleans up after itself. It could probably teach your kids a thing or two!
RELATED: It’s time to put the brakes on AI
This bot’s got moxie
Moxi came into its own during the onset of the pandemic, delivering medication, PPE, patient comforts and other supplies when safety protocols were in place.
While Moxi can open elevator doors on its own, it will politely ask a human to press a button for the floor it needs to go to. How cute!
Microscopic doctors
Antibacterial nanorobots are tiny self-propelled bots that deliver medication right to the site of infection. They do this by mimicking a bacteria and its target, then trapping it in a nanowire mesh when the bacteria gets near. Is that you, Spider-Man?
Bug vac
No, this isn’t for your home. BugVacuum is a self-propelled vacuum cleaner that sucks up insects while autonomously navigating between the crops on farms.
The farmer only has to get it to the starting point and set it to auto mode. The bot is ideal for clearing out insecticide-resistant pests. It sure beats a slipper.
Beary helpful
Hospitals can be scary places. Robear is a teddy bear-shaped robot that lifts elderly patients from their beds into a wheelchair. In larger hospitals, the staff does this dozens of times daily, and this high-tech teddy helps ease the burden.
Automated pack mule
We should all walk more. It’s good for our bodies and the environment. But a car makes more sense when you have to carry a lot of stuff. That’s where Gita Bot comes in.
This rolling robot follows you while you’re out and about, carrying whatever you need. Think shopping and grocery bags, luggage and work equipment.
How much do you tip it?
Makr Shakr’s robotic bartender mixes and serves drinks and uses algorithms to create unique cocktails. It mimics the movements of a professional mixologist and can make 120 drinks per hour.
RELATED: Creating a robot bartender powered by Alexa/Siri
Sophia shocked the world
Sophia is a lifelike humanoid robot that can converse with a person and display a range of emotions. But she became famous with just one line.
You probably know Sophia from the video where she said she would “destroy humans.” We hope they worked out that bug.
Cobot buddy
Rethink Robotics’ Baxter is an example of collaborative robots (cobots) designed to work with humans, not take their place.
Rather than performing a single task continuously like a conventional industrial robot, Baxter performs several minor duties alongside humans. It does things such as unpacking boxes, sorting items and completing simple assembly tasks.
More on robot technology
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Tags: Atlas, Boston Dynamics, pandemic, Robots, shopping, Spot, technology
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