Thursday, January 1, 2026

Humanoid Robots Take Their First Steps, And Sometimes Falls

As published in Popular Science:

In 2025, the quest for humanoid robots reached a milestone, albeit an unsteady one. Tech companies have invested heavily in bringing these general-purpose robots to ---, but the outcome has been a mix of staged performances, underwhelming demos, and a considerable number of falls. The year may be remembered as the moment humanoid robots attempted to learn how to crawl, but instead, they took a tumble.

Videos of early robots being subjected to various forms of torment have long been a source of amusement online. However, the newer, shinier models are now making their way out of labs and into the real world, surrounded by actual people. The resulting accidents are captivating for a public that is both skeptical of and somewhat terrified by the future these robots seem to foretell.

Engineers, however, remain optimistic, viewing these incidents as an essential part of collecting valuable, real-world data. A recent example of this phenomenon occurred in November, when a humanoid robot from the Russian tech firm AIDOL made its debut on a runway stage in Moscow. The robot, also called AIDOL, staggered across the stage, its face contorting in distress as it became clear that something was amiss.

Image
Tech companies are collectively spending billions to turn the age old sci-fi trope of humanoid , general-purpose robots into reality.
You might also find this interesting: See here

No comments:

Post a Comment