It’s difficult to compare the progress of various AI systems at the moment as they’re all in their early stages, but Sanctuary Cognitive Systems Corporate or Sanctuary AI, just hit an important milestone. The Vancouver, British Columbia, firm just unveiled Phoenix, its own stab at the form factor. The bipedal robot stands 5’7″ and weighs 155 pounds, not very much dissimilar from the humans it plans to augment. The humanoid has a capability of lifting payloads of almost 55 pounds and traveling at a rate of three miles an hour.
Before we delve deeper into the humanoid of Sanctuary AI, let’s understand wha Humanoids actually are!
Humanoids are robots designed to resemble humans in their physical appearance and movements. They are often equipped with advanced sensors, processors, and actuators that enable them to interact with their environment in ways that are similar to human beings. Humanoids are being developed for a wide range of applications, from research and education to healthcare and entertainment.
One important area of research involving humanoids is the study of human cognition and behavior. By developing robots that can interact with humans in realistic ways, researchers can gain insights into how humans think, learn, and communicate. For example, humanoid robots have been used to study how children learn language and social skills, as well as to investigate the effects of aging on cognitive performance.
Use Cases of Humanoids
Humanoids are also being developed for a wide range of applications in healthcare. For eg., humanoid robots can be used to assist with physical therapy and rehabilitation, providing patients with personalized training and feedback. They can also be used to provide care and companionship to elderly or disabled individuals, helping to improve their quality of life and reduce social isolation.
In addition to their research and healthcare applications, humanoids are also being developed for use in entertainment and other industries. For example, humanoid robots are being used in theme parks and other attractions to provide visitors with interactive and immersive experiences. They can also be used in retail and customer service applications, providing customers with personalized assistance and guidance.
Mainly, humanoids are a rapidly evolving field of robotics with the potential to transform many aspects of our lives. As technology continues to advance, it is likely that we will see even more innovative and useful applications of humanoid robots in the years to come.
Now, let’s get back to Sanctuary AI’s Humanoid
The system sports its own complex hands, with 20 degrees of freedom “that rival human hand dexterity and fine manipulation with proprietary haptic technology that mimics the sense of touch. Back in March, 2023, Sanctuary AI announced that it deployed Phoenix’s predecessor at a Mark’s retail store outside of its native Vancouver.
The other key feature of these sorts of humanoid robots is the “general purpose” bit. In several ways, creating a system can hypothetically do anything its human colleagues can in a workplace which is harder than building the hardware itself.