In the past few months, we have covered a bunch of awesome videos of Spot robots doing things. Boston Dynamics has shared a new video that shows how these robots can haul a truck. 10 of them are used to haul a truck across a parking lot (1-degree uphill).
Here is another mobile robot platform that can carry serious load. The Waypoint MAV3K omnidirectional robot comes with 3000lb carrying capacity and can be set up in 15 minutes. It has dual LiDAR sensors and a 3-stage safety system.
Meet Narwal: a self-cleaning robot mop and vacuum that uses LiDAR, SLAM, and smart sensors to clean your floor efficiently. It comes with a 5L water tank and can cover an area of 2150 sqft. The robot comes with self-cleaning technology, so it will wash, rinse, and dry the mops automatically.
Robots are already doing many tasks for businesses. The Honeywell Fully Automated Robotic Unloader can unload packages without need for an operator. It uses AI to operate fully autonomously inside of a trailer. Here is how it works:
Honeywell’s new robotic unloader drives into a trailer or container and uses machine vision to identify various package shapes and sizes as well as the optimal approach to unloading. A robotic arm with a series of small suction cups conforms to the package shape to gently extract it from the stack. A conveyor below the arm can serve as a sweeper for packages to move them out of the trailer.
These robots can unload 1500 items per hour. They are designed to go gently on packages.
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There are plenty of robot hands around these days. Not all of them are capable of producing humanlike movement. The New Dexterity Adaptive Robot Hand is different. It features tendon driven fingers, opposable thumb, and compliant thumb to produce smooth hand movement.
There are plenty of fancy robots on the market but not all of them are capable of dealing with snow and uneven surfaces. BigAnt is a hexapedal robot that can withstand snow and climb hills better than humans. The below video shows how it can adapt to grass and snow:
There is no better way to master robotics than building and programming your own robots. If you are looking for an inspiration, you may want to give SmallKat a look. It is a project all about building a cute robot cat. It is a low cost 16 DOF 3D printed robot cat with an ESP32 module and a BNO055 IMU.
Boston Dynamics is not the only company with fancy robot dogs. Laikago is an electric motor driven robot dog that can move on uneven surfaces and keep its balance when kicked. It has smart motors with thermal management. It has a max walking speed of 0.8m/s.
Meet Lifi: an artificial intelligence massage robot that can deliver superior soft tissue treatment to people. It comes with multiple control and safety mechanisms and relies on AI to come up with the most effective treatment method. Lifi relies on robotic vision to accurately identify the massage area.
