Famed roboticist thinks spending billions on humanoids is a waste
What's the story
Rodney Brooks, a leading roboticist and co-founder of iRobot, has warned investors pouring billions into humanoid robot start-ups. In a recent essay, Brooks said that the current approach to teaching robots dexterity by showing them videos of humans performing tasks is "pure fantasy thinking." He specifically called out companies like Tesla and Figure for their methods.
Challenges
Brooks says no robot has matched human hand's complexity
Brooks highlighted the unmatched sophistication of human hands, which are equipped with some 17,000 specialized touch receptors. He said no robot has been able to match this complexity. Further, he raised concerns over the safety of full-sized walking humanoid robots that consume a lot of energy to stay upright but can be dangerous when they fall.
Future predictions
Successful 'humanoid' robots will have wheels, sensors
Brooks predicts that in 15 years, successful "humanoid" robots will have wheels, multiple arms, and also specialized sensors instead of looking like humans. He is also convinced that the billions being spent today are funding expensive training experiments that will never scale to mass production. This isn't the first time Brooks has challenged the expectations set by overzealous entrepreneurs and investors.
Market growth
Market for humanoid robots is growing
Despite Brooks's warnings, the market for humanoid robots continues to grow. Apptronik, a humanoid robot maker that has raised almost $450 million from investors, counts Google among its backers. Figure, another player in the space backed by Microsoft and OpenAI Startup Fund, recently said it had received over $1 billion in committed capital in its latest funding round.