From humanoid robots to help the elderly, to advanced prosthetic arms, here are 9 of
the coolest robots that actually exist in real life!
#9 Cozmo Anki Cozmo robot was the hottest selling toy
of 2016 and with good reason!
He’s more than just a toy…and more than just a robot.
One great thing about Cozmo is that you get to be there when he wakes up after you buy
him.
He looks much like a baby bird hatching from his egg.
At first, he doesn’t look like much, but after he’s turned on, he’s the most adorable
and advanced robot toy in the world.
His eyes are a key feature that resembles those out of a Disney/Pixar movie.
Much like that Tamagotchi from back in the day, Cozmo requires love and affection.
Plus, the more time you spend with Cozmo, the more he can do!
After he wakes up for the first time, you tell him your name and he reads your face
and memorizes you.
Past that he can learn tricks and you can earn points and moves when you connect him
to your mobile device via his app!
All around he’s very advanced for a toy!
Cozmo can be found on Amazon for $159.99.
#8 Spot Boston Dynamics is the company responsible
for the creation of this robodog.
He is made to be sturdy and sure-footed so that he can carry supplies on the roughest
of terrains.
Another project funded by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Spot was
created for crisis situations, much like a search and rescue dog.
But unlike real dogs, Spot can go where normal dogs can’t go.
Plus, his fears and insecurities do not exist, making him a better candidate and putting
fewer dogs at risk.
He weighs 160 pounds and is meant to look and walk like a dog and does so fairly well.
One surprising fact though, is that he can really see via a rotating sensor!
What’s different than a dog, besides the fact that he’s a robot, is that Spot cannot
be knocked over.
Whether on hills, rocks, or ice, he remains on his feet.
This is crucial for his job!
#7 Aido What’s the most surprising thing about Aido?
He was an IndieGogo project!
That’s right, this fascinating robot was made by people just like us…and super smart!.
Although he still isn’t out yet, users pledged over $800,000 to make Aido happen and he will
be ready to ship on January 2018.
Aido is selling for $549.
He is a next generation robot made to be part of the family and is meant to improve your
lifestyle around the house.
He can play with the kids and act much like a nanny.
He can tune into smart appliances allowing him to do household chores, secure your home,
greet guests and show them from the door to the living room, shut the garage doors, and
start up the washer.
For a bit of fun, he offers games for the whole family and a projector for movies.
Not only that, but he is a great teacher and learner.
He can recognize not just you but each member of your household!
#6 Milo Milo is a robot created by the company RoboKind
to help children with autism.
Robokind is a company in Dallas that strives to create “cost-effective and inclusive
education for all”.
Robot Milo is used to teach social skills to children with autism.
Milo is a two-foot-tall robot that uses children’s voices to teach trivia and play games.
Research shows that children with autism engage more with Milo than when working only with
a therapist.
One of the best things about Milo is that he never lets his emotions get in the way.
He doesn’t get tired.
He never gets frustrated, and he gives autistic children the one thing they need most…consistency.
He encourages kids to get out of their comfort zone while somehow helping them remain comfortable.
He helps the kids recognize emotions in others, express empathy, socialize, and motivate themselves.
He uses an LCD screen to speak so kids can more easily understand what he is saying.
He will show small clips and ask the kids to answer yes or no questions about what they’ve
seen.
Kids are usually much more comfortable speaking with Milo than with an adult.
Milo is helping to promote the cognitive and social well-being of humans using advanced
technology.
Pretty amazing!
#5 Luke Arm From one of the most innovative companies
in the world, DEKA, comes LUKE, a prosthetic arm unlike any other!
DEKA is the founder of the AutoSyringe for diabetics, modern-day dialysis, and Segways.
Although these are all widely used, one of DEKA’s greatest inventions is the LUKE arm.
This prosthetic arm was named after Luke Skywalker himself, and was funded by DARPA.
LUKE was actually first conceived in 2006 when DARPA gave $18.1 million to the project.
DEKA was given two years to complete the first arm.
They gathered the best in the business and came up with the idea to connect existing
nerves in the remaining part of the arm to bands of muscles in the chest.
This would be used as a controller for the arm.
However, the amputee must use their mind rather than their chest or arm to move their new
arm.
So, in a way, your brain needs to convince your body that you have an arm.
In 2012, the first amputees found success as they were able to move their new arm.
The arm incorporates advanced motors, electronics, and can be modified to fit users with varying
degrees of amputation.
But that is not even the best part.
This arm can be controlled by muscle twitches in the arms and feet.
Its fingers can grip objects with sophisticated sensors monitoring how much force is required.
Mobious Bionics, the firm bringing the Luke arm to market, says it will enable users to
move, reach, twist and lift.
It is way stronger than anything else on the market.
#4 Pepper Some say that Pepper is more human than he
is robot.
According to SoftBank Robotics, Pepper is the first robot designed to live with humans
and he is built to be a companion by using voice, touch, and emotions.
He can sense auras of his friends and is the “first humanoid robot capable of recognizing
the principal human emotions and adapting his behavior to the mood”.
He’s even being used as a door greeter at Softbank Mobile stores.
It is said that he is more interactive than most humans too.
He shows a general interest in your likes, tastes, and opinions making him a great listener.
He can even recognize you when you walk into a room.
He knows many languages and enjoys listening to music and dancing.
He will memorize what you like and adapt himself accordingly.
He can notice the tone of your voice, the expressions on your face, your dialect, and
choice of vocabulary.
He uses his voice, tablet, and eyes to sympathize with you.
If he were bigger and knew first aid he would be a real life Baymax from Big Hero 6!
I love him already!!
Pepper costs about $1,700 upfront, $134 a month for 36 months for maintenance, and $89
for 36 months for insurance.
#3 Romeo Romeo is a 4.5 ft- tall robot, created to
aid elderly people as well as those losing their motor skills.
This humanoid robot from Aldebaran Robotics is intended to be a genuine personal assistant
and companion.
The reason he is so tall is so that he can open doors, hold hands, and carry platters
that smaller robots cannot.
He is another Aldebaran Robotics creation and is revolutionizing at-home care.
Soon after his creation, Romeo received an upgrade called Romeo 2.
The robot's arms are the most vital body part.
So, Romeo 2 was given not only active interaction, but the passive interaction of protecting
himself.
On the other hand, he is given a sense of danger so he can better protect those under
his care.
Aside from being practical, he is also a great companion for those who use his services.
He will interact socially, physically, have opinions, plan, remember, create tasks, and
do much more.
ROMEO is not widely publicized yet as he is still undergoing a few tweaks.
But, designers our hopeful in their goal to create a caretaker and companion for the elderly
across the world.
#2 RoboThespian RoboThespian is not just a big robot, but
a life-size robot!
Engineered Arts claims to have the first commercial robot that behaves love a person.
He is the closest a robot has ever come to being a human and is designed for human interaction
in a public environment.
After years of production and generations of models, RoboThespian is tested and now
trusted by national science centers, academic research institutions, and your average tourists.
This guy can hold eye contact with you, perform Singin’ in the Rain and guess your age!
RoboThespian is meant to test the line between humans and robots as he is made to act and
react in the most humanly way possible.
While at the same time, maintaining the intelligence of an AI.
Like most robots these days, he is given impressions, lines, the ability to record content, recognize
human reactions, and so on.
Engineered Arts works with customers to produce a robotic partner for their research, entertainment,
and communication needs.
Engineers are working on making RoboThespian walk, hop, and jump.
Up to 20 of the machines are sold every year for around £50,000.
#1 ATLAS Atlas is most likely the most publicized robot
of the decade.
He is a bipedal humanoid robot made by Boston Dynamics that was funded by DARPA.
Oddly enough, Atlas’ hands were made by two separate companies.
Sandia National Laboratories made one hand while none other than iRobot made the other.
These hands have their very own motor skills.
In 2013, the creators said that they were at a one-year-old learning to walk stage.
But that’s because Atlas is very advanced.
He is made of aluminum and titanium, and is given four limbs that, unlike most robots,
have 28 degrees of freedom.
He has a laser rangefinder and stereo cameras.
Atlas is made to walk on rough terrain and climb on his own, not to mention withstand
projectiles and stand on one leg.
In 2014, Atlas went through training that would help get into a car, drive the car,
open doors, and use power tools.
He still has a long way to go, but has come a long way in accomplishing these tasks.
A new version was introduced in 2016, but the old one isn’t completely cast aside.
The new ATLAS is much shorter and lighter than the previous model which was 6’2”.
The robot can run on 2 feet over rough terrain, fall over, and get up again by itself.
You can watch the video on the next-generation ATLAS on Boston Dynamics website.