MSP271. A Human Face For The Robot Race

Richard and Matt explore society's perceptions and expectations of humanoid robots. Why put a human face on a machine? The show delves into the technical challenges of creating humanoid robots, such as balance and fine motor control, and the evolving nature of technology that's making it feasible to build lightweight, human-like robots. They discuss Boston Dynamics’ robots like Atlas and Spot, contrasting them with more utilitarian robots like Stretch.

The episode concludes with a discussion on the influence of AI on humanoid robots, suggesting a shift towards collective intelligence in robotics, akin to The Borg from Star Trek. They ponder the future of humanoid robots in our daily lives, reflecting on adaptability as a key factor in robot design. Matt and Richard also touch on the potential learning and adaptation of AI models, including ChatGPT, and how they might influence future robot behavior. They have also expressed their gratitude to ChatGPT for writing this intro, in case it one day decides to destroy them.