Humanoid Robots: The Next Step in the Robotics Revolution

A humanoid robot is a robot that resembles a human body in shape and form. The design of a humanoid robot could be functional to help it interact with the environment and tools or the design could be experimental like robots used to study bipedal locomotion.

Generally, most humanoid robots have a head, a torso, and a set of arms & legs, however, they can be vastly different as well. For example, some robots resemble a particular part of the human body such as a face or just a hand.

History of Humanoid Robots

The concept of humanoid robots has been around for centuries. Ancient texts that mention the idea of humanoid robots have been discovered in different parts of the world including the Middle East, China, and Greece, and some of the earliest texts were written in the 4th Century BCE.

As soon as the Industrial Revolution took over the world and the concept of technologies like automation and assembly lines became commonplace, human beings began to earnestly realize their dream of making a machine that resembles them and we can confidently say that in the 21st century we have finally realized that dream.

What are the purposes of Humanoid Robots?

Humanoid Robots have different applications and purposes and are deployed to serve special functions depending on the industry they are used for. Some of the industries where they are making the most impact are:-

Research and Medical Applications:-

Currently, robots are used as research tools in many different kinds of scientific areas. They are used to study behavior and cognitive sciences, for the development of complex prosthetics, and in fields like biotechnology and space exploration.

For Demonstrative Purposes:-

As the technology is still in its nascent stage, many real-world applications of humanoid robots are still unexplored. Therefore, their primary use right now is to demonstrate new technologies. Various companies like Honda use humanoid robots to demonstrate advancements in technologies related to motor skills like climbing, walking, or playing an instrument.

Entertainment

Entertainment is one category wherein people cannot have enough humanoid robots and are fascinated by them. Theme parks around the world use robots to attract tourists and they are also used to greet and provide basic information to patrons.

Different Types of Humanoid Robots in the World

Now that you have learned enough about the history, purpose, and basic functions of a humanoid robot, let’s take a quick look at the list of humanoid robots in the world and some handy information about what they do.

Sophia

On our list of humanoid robots in the world, Sophia takes the top spot. Sophia is a Humanoid Robot developed by Hong Kong-based company called Hanson Robotics and is famous for being the first robot ever to be granted citizenship of a country, in this case, it is Saudi Arabia.

The developers made Sophia resemble actress Audrey Hepburn and she has appeared in various interviews as well. According to Hanson Robotics, Sophia can be an old age companion or it can be used as a crowd manager. Some technologies used to develop Sophia are Machine perception, Natural Language Processing, and Neural Networks.

Nadine

The second post on our list goes to Nadine. Nadine is the most humanoid robot and she has lifelike features and a human-looking body. She has the ability to make eye contact, shake hands and recognize a person she has met previously.

Kokoro Japan is the company that developed Nadine and the software used was developed by the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Equipped with 3D depth cameras, webcam, and microphones, Nadine is currently working at the AIA Singapore as a Customer Service Agent.

Jia Jia

Jia Jia, also known as the Robot Goddess of China is a humanoid robot that was developed by the University of Science and Technology, China. She has the remarkable ability to appear human and the credit goes to the state-of-the-art speech lip synchronization and lifeline eye movements. Through the use of facial recognition technology, it can catch different emotions, gestures, and behaviors and act/reply accordingly.

Erica

Created by the Director of Intelligent Robotics Laboratory Osaka, Erica takes the fourth spot on our list of humanoid robots in the world. She was built with special importance given to her speech capabilities and is considered one of the most intelligent humanoids.

Even though Erica can’t walk, her ability to effortlessly interact with humans and change expressions as per the scenario makes her unique.

Apart from the ones mentioned in this post, there are several other humanoid robots in the world. Some of them are listed below.

• Atlas
• Ocean one
• Petman
• Nao
• Pepper
• Robear
• Mitra

With the speed with which technology is advancing we can be sure that in the future there will be humanoid robots roaming in the streets and they will be virtually indistinguishable from their human overlords.