Humanoid Robots Could Be The Perfect Assistants

According to tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Jensen Huang, humanoid robots hold the promise of becoming perfect assistants in our daily lives. 

Humanoid robots are machines designed to replicate human movements, interactions, and sometimes even appearances. Over the years, these robots have evolved significantly — from simple mechanical constructs to advanced robots equipped with sophisticated artificial intelligence.

What makes a humanoid robot incredibly fascinating is its ability to interact with our environment in a human-like manner. For instance, we have seen UCLA's most advanced humanoid robot, ARTEMIS, playing football.

However, the question is: have we reached a point where humanoid robots can actually replace a human assistant?

Here’s Where Humanoid Robots Stand Today

Humanoid robots today are equipped with AI, machine learning algorithms, and sensory systems. These new-age technologies enable robots to navigate complex environments and perform tasks without requiring human assistance. 

Here are some examples:

Optimus Robot By Tesla: Musk’s Tesla first unveiled plans to work on a humanoid robot in 2021. The tech mogul has previously said that the robot is designed to handle dangerous and repetitive tasks. It is equipped with a trained neural network and a computer capable of full self-driving. Tesla has also revealed that the Optimus robot is already working on its factory floor.

Atlas By Boston Dynamics: The Atlas disaster-response robot was publicly unveiled on July 11, 2013. Known for its agility and balance, Atlast was reportedly intended to assist emergency responders in search and rescue operations. Last year, the company made some trial videos of Atlas public, in which the robot was seen grooving and backflipping.

Sophia By Hanson Robotics: Launched in 2016, Sophia was first activated on Valentine’s Day. It is reportedly capable of holding conversations, recognizing faces, and even expressing emotions. This humanoid robot is designed to work in nursing homes to aid the elderly, and children and assist with customer service.

What Can I Use These For

An individual can use these robots as personal assistants that can help with some household chores. These robots can also be used for companionship, especially for old people and individuals who require support, as they can provide emotional and practical assistance.

Similarly, an organization can choose to invest in humanoid robots because they can reduce the pressure on human customer service executives, and help with manufacturing and logistics. 

According to the National Institute of Health, robotic surgical systems facilitate minimally invasive surgeries, leading to reduced patient recovery times, blood loss, and hospital stays. Moreover, these robots can help with patient care. For instance, they can monitor patient health and remind them to take medication.

These Are Still Just Machines

While it is true that the technology in the field of robotics is advancing at a rapid pace, we cannot ignore that these robots are still machines. They can still face issues with efficiency, effectiveness, speed, and energy consumption and of course, companies today are yet to deal with AI “hallucinations.”

On top of that, there are ethical and social considerations to be taken into account. Considering there are concerns about robots infringing on people’s privacy and security, not many individuals would be comfortable with robots taking care of their loved ones.

Moreover, these humanoid robots are expensive. Musk has previously said that initially Tesla Optimus will be priced between $25,000 and $30,000. He also shared his intention to be able to sell Optimus for $10,000 to $20,000, a price lower than Tesla’s least expensive Model 3 sedan, once it achieves high-volume production.

The Bottomline

The fact remains, that the high rate of these robots makes them affordable for only a limited number of people and organizations. 

We also need to think about the implications of humanoid robot adoptions on job displacement. Already, white-collar workers worldwide are worried about losing the battle against AI, and robots have started working in factories, it is clear that as these humanoid robots get more advanced, human workers will have to compete with them to sustain themselves.

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