A new AI humanoid robot, designed by Chinese firm Stardust Intelligence, has been showcased at the 2024 World Robot Conference in Beijing, with claims from its makers that it has the “most powerful brain” and “strongest operation” in its class.
Domestic assistant with comfort functions
The robot, the “Astribot S1” possesses a human-like upper body and wheeled base. In a demonstration, it performed a diverse range of complex and sometimes delicate domestic chores such as vacuuming floors, laundry folding, handling pots and pans, and stacking crockery.
But the Astribot promises not only to undertake household tasks on behalf of humans, but provide comfort too, making cups of leaf tea and playing music, including on instruments. What’s more, it could become a sports partner for those lacking a buddy, as long as you don’t get too upset by its ability to perform basketball shots and practise martial arts.
These are all functions that traditionally have been beyond the realm of robotics, due to the need to execute complex sequences of planning and move with exceptional dexterity.
Thousands of households within a decade
Stardust is aiming to bring the humanoid to market before the end of 2024, focusing on domestic use cases, as well as its potential in the fields of research and commerce.
“Our vision is to provide several billion people with AI robotic assistants. Whether it’s taking care of the home or working in factories, the more robots learn, decide, and execute like humans, the more they can help people do more and do it better,” CEO Lai Jie said, inviting people to “bring their demands to the S1, allowing its capabilities to grow from 55% and 85% to 99.99%, getting infinitely closer to human levels. We also hope that in the next five to ten years, AI robots will enter thousands of households.”
While film fans of a certain age may associate robots with catastrophic consequences for human life on Earth, Stardust insists that its unique combination of strong but flexible hardware and planning and learning algorithms makes the S1 precise and safe.
As well as the functions listed above, a promotional video shows the robot feeding a live pet while owners are away, making and expertly flipping waffles, and even acting as an in-house yoga instructor.
With all that weight taken off your mind, the only decision you might have left to make is whether or not to have the robot wear an apron.
