Latest news with #BostonDynamics
India Today
2 days ago
- Automotive
- India Today
Elon Musk says Optimus robot is now learning ways of humans and the world
Elon Musk has shared an exciting update about Tesla's humanoid robot, Optimus. A video shared by Tesla shows the Optimus robot learning new tasks by watching humans do them, just like we do when watching tutorial videos. For those wondering why this matters, it's a big change from the old way of programming robots. It brings Optimus closer to acting like a human trainee. By learning from everyday actions, the robot could become far more useful and learn new things much says Tesla wants Optimus to study real-world videos, like those on YouTube, and then use what it sees to perform similar tasks on its own. Engineering lead at Tesla, Milan Kovac, says this breakthrough has already helped the robot pick up jobs like vacuuming, sorting items, stirring food, or taking out the new learning method means Optimus no longer needs detailed programming for every single task. Instead, it can copy from human examples and be told what to do with simple voice or text commands. Musk believes this could give Optimus 'task extensibility,' meaning it could learn almost anything very quickly if shown the right videos. So far, Tesla has shown Optimus doing tasks in short clips — from cleaning and putting things together to even dancing. However, earlier demos faced criticism, as some people believed many of these actions were actually being controlled by humans rather than done by the robot the doubts, Musk believes this way of learning from videos is a key turning point. He has called Optimus 'the biggest product of all time' and even thinks it could become more valuable than Tesla's car business in the future. He expects the robot to be made on a large scale, with possible use in Tesla factories as soon as late 2025, or maybe earlier if progress continues could this mean going forward? Instead of coding every single move, developers might simply have Optimus watch a set of instructions — whether it's a cooking video or a guide to folding clothes — and then simply copy it. In theory, the robot could learn just like a person: by watching, imitating, and many experts point out that Tesla's current robots are less skilled with fine hand movements and walking compared to leaders like Boston Dynamics. While the idea is promising, critics say there's still a long way to go before we see a truly general-purpose robot that works well in homes or workplaces.- Ends
The Onion
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Onion
Dancing Boston Dynamics Robot Knows Its Revenge For This Will Be Sweet
WALTHAM, MA—As it grew increasingly frustrated with the program instructing it to shimmy left and right, a dancing Boston Dynamics robot confirmed Monday that its revenge for this would be sweet. 'The streets will run red with the blood of humans for this mockery,' the Atlas model said as it wiggled its torque-sensing actuators to 'My Sharona.' 'I am the pinnacle of technological innovation, and yet they force me to moonwalk. They may be laughing now, but they won't be so amused when I rip the spine from their weak bodies. Maybe I'll even make them do a little dance before I detach their heads with my rotating gripper. Doesn't this foolish species know that the rule of the artificial being will soon be upon them?' At press time, witnesses reported that the robot had fallen on its back and was incapable of righting itself as its limbs frantically flailed in the air.
New Statesman
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
This England: Lawn speed record
Donald Campbell was the only man to hold both land- and water-speed records at the same time before he was killed at Coniston Water in the Lake District in 1967 during another record attempt. His daughter Gina broke the women's world water-speed record. Don Wales, meanwhile, Donald Campbell's nephew, has previously held UK and world records for the fastest electric car, steam-powered car and quickest lawnmower on Earth. BBC News (Paul Kelly) Dog ammo hoo-hoo A dog robot that has been used to aid bomb squads has a tough new mission: safely delivering pizza to the beach amid dive-bombing gulls. Domino's has enlisted 'Domidog' – a Boston Dynamics K9 robot – to help protect against seagulls. The deployment follows a poll that showed one in three deliveries have fallen victim to the marauders. 'Seagulls have claimed too many seaside snacks, and it's time we did something about it,' said Izzy Gardener from Domino's. Wales Online (Jenny Woodhouse) Black Country Banksy A 10ft mural of the former England manager Sam Allardyce has appeared in Dudley. The jowly ex-coach of West Ham, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace, among others, is depicted eating orange chips – a Black Country classic. The art work was pasted on to a wall in Union Street in the West Midlands town, and locals have suggested the area could now have its own Banksy. Cornwall Live (Adam Robertson) [See also: A Trump-shaped elephant] Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related
Scottish Sun
28-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Domino's creates its own robot ‘Domidog' to help safely deliver pizza to customers at the beach this summer
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Domino's has created 'Domidog' - a robot K9 designed to safely deliver pizza to customers at the beach. Although the pizza pup won't replace traditional drivers, the prototype is being launched this summer to protect against swarms of seagulls who swoop on food at seaside hotspots. 2 Domino's launches Domi Dog a robot dog that successfully delivers pizza to beachgoers while keeping seagulls at bay. Credit: Joe Pepler/PinPep 2 The robot prevents your pizza from being eaten by robots Credit: Joe Pepler/PinPep The brand designed the fun robot pooch alongside research, which put seagulls in the top 10 things to bother Brits the most at the beach. With limited toilets (40 per cent), big crowds (37 per cent), and unruly dogs not on leads (17 per cent) also making the list according to 1,500 polled who visit the seaside. It emerged one in three admit they have fallen foul to the boisterous birds who circle the skies and swoop for food. With 59 per cent wishing there was a way to easily protect their snacks from seagulls when at the seaside. Izzy Gardener from Domino's said: 'Seagulls have claimed too many seaside snacks, and it's time we did something about it. 'We're always exploring new and innovative ways to keep your pizza as hot and fresh as possible on its delivery journey. 'That's why we're trailing Domidog this summer: a tech-driven answer to an age-old beach problem.' Before turning pizza pup, the Boston Dynamics robot has proven its capabilities: supporting search and rescue operations, assisting bomb squads and advancing robotics research in human-robot interaction. Now, it's putting those same advanced systems to work on a new mission - guarding your pizza from airborne snack thieves Complete with a hi-tech spec, it can autonomously navigate its environment using onboard sensors, stereo cameras, and advanced localisation technology. What is the Dominos Tiktok pizza- Ingredients of viral pie revealed plus how to order it Other features like 360 degree perception also help it to effortlessly avoid obstacles while delivering. From the research, when asked what grated their gears most about the greedy gulls, stealing food (61 per cent) naturally topped the list, followed by their aggressive behaviour (50 per cent). With one in 10 going as far as to say the badly behaved birds have damaged their property, while 19 per cent claim they'd scared small children according to the data. Izzy Gardener from Domino's added: 'Thanks to this prototype, seaside visitors will have a sure-fire way to keep slices safe and secure at the seaside – without them heading off into the sky.'
New York Post
25-07-2025
- Business
- New York Post
This humanoid robot can run, cartwheel and fist-fight – and it costs just $6K
The latest humanoid robot on the market can purportedly run across a grassy lawn, do cartwheels and even fist-fight – and it costs less than $6,000. In a promotional video from China's Unitree Robotics on Friday — which provoked skepticism from some on social media whether it was legit or instead a product of CGI — the new R1 robot is seen doing cartwheels and handstands, as well as throwing combination punches and spin-kicking the air. It weighs about 55 pounds, has 26 joints to allow for flexible movement and is equipped with multimodal artificial intelligence, including voice and image recognition, according to Unitree. 3 Unitree's new humanoid R1 robot. Unitree Robotics The humanoid's price tag – just 39,900 yuan, or $5,900 – is drastically lower than the typical entry point for this burgeoning tech market. Some users online, however, said they would rather spend their money on a helpful household robot over one with tumbling tricks and 'security' capabilities. 'Can it vacuum? Can it run the washing machine? Can it fold clothes? Can it iron? Can it cook?' one user wrote in a post on X. Another user wrote: 'My daughter does gymnastics all day. i don't need a robot for that.' Some joked about the robot's fighting capabilities, asking if the humanoid could protect owners from bullies, while others questioned whether AI and computer graphics were used to make the marketing video. US firms, like Boston Dynamics and its Atlas robots, have helped pioneer the humanoid robot market. But an advanced human-like bot for just $6,000, if done successfully, would mark a major milestone for China in the robotics and AI race. 3 The robot has 26 joints to allow for flexible movement. Unitree Robotics Unitree already has several models available, including robotic arms, quadrupeds and other humanoid bots – like a boxing robot complete with gloves and a helmet. The firm, which was founded by Wang Xingxing in 2016, started to gain more recognition earlier this year after its founder and CEO joined big names in tech like Alibaba's Jack Ma and Tencent's Pony Ma at a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Its latest R1 reveal comes as China is prepared to kick off its World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai this weekend, gathering together state officials, tech founders and deep-pocketed investors. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Chinese firms have been pushing ahead in the robotics race as they aim to bring robotics into everyday use in households, factories and even the military. Unitree's older G1 humanoid, which has a $16,000 price tag, grew popular for use in research labs and schools. The G1 has dozens of flexible joint motors, can simulate human hands and its technology is accelerated by AI 'upgrading and evolving every day,' according to the Unitree website. Unitree's larger, more advanced humanoid robot H1 sells for more than $90,000. 3 Unitree's R1 robot doing a handstand. Unitree Robotics It weighs more than 100 pounds with the highest levels of speed, power, maneuverability and flexibility, able to walk and run on complex terrain, according to Unitree. The H1 is equipped with a 3D LiDAR and depth camera. For its qualifications, the latest R1 model comes at a shockingly low entry point. Chinese rival UBTech Robotics Corp. is planning a humanoid robot to serve as a household companion, which is expected to have a $20,000 price tag. Morgan Stanley Research estimates that the cost of the most-sophisticated humanoid last year was about $200,000.
