Real-life droids from the Star Wars franchise stole the spotlight at Nvidia’s annual software developer conference in San Jose, California, on Wednesday (March 19). Disney showcased two droids that can walk, dance, and express emotions, and allowed attendees to interact with them at the Nvidia booth on the showroom floor in the San Jose Convention Center. “It can express happiness, it dances, but it can also express that it’s shy at the moment… It’s these emotions – it’s sort of a fully complete character that we were able to build. I think that touches people,” said Moritz Baecher, 44, a robotics researcher for Disney. The droid also appeared on stage with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang during his keynote speech on Tuesday. Known as BDX Droids, the creatures have appeared in the Star Wars TV show “The Mandalorian” and in two of the franchise’s video games, “Fallen Order” and “Survivor.” “You see not a mechanical system, you see a believable robotic character that emotes, right?” said Baecher. Although not fully autonomous – the droids are operated by a puppeteer with a controller – the droids do control their own balance and gait, skills they acquired through reinforcement learning. The droids have already interacted with guests at Disney parks and are currently touring various Disney properties. They also made a recent appearance on a Disney cruise.
Walk, Run, Crawl, RL Fun | Boston Dynamics
In this video, Atlas is demonstrating policies developed using reinforcement learning with references from human motion capture and animation. This work was done as part of a research partnership between Boston Dynamics and the Robotics and AI Institute (RAI Institute).
Elon Musk Just Revealed First Starship Payload to Mars Next Year!
Elon Musk Just Revealed First Starship Payload to Mars Next Year! This is incredible, y’all! Elon Musk has just revealed the first Starship payload mission to Mars set for next year, and the plan is absolutely insane. The timeline is ambitious, but if there’s one company that thrives on pushing boundaries, it’s SpaceX. Meanwhile, Falcon 9, after facing some challenges, is now accelerating at full speed, smashing records and reinforcing SpaceX’s unmatched dominance in the industry. A perfect example of this is the Crew-10 mission, a major success that once again highlights SpaceX’s crucial role in supporting the International Space Station. Let’s dive into all of this on today’s episode of Great SpaceX! Elon Musk Just Revealed First Starship Payload to Mars Next Year! Starship is accelerating rapidly, but it is also facing significant challenges, particularly in its last two flights. The Ships have exploded prematurely, raising concerns and doubts about the program’s progress. However, despite these setbacks, Super Heavy has been consistently landing successfully with Mechazilla Arms, keeping our hopes alive for Starship’s long-term success. And just recently, that hope soared even higher as Elon Musk officially unveiled SpaceX’s boldest plan yet for Starship. Elon Musk Just Revealed First Starship Payload to Mars Next Year! He announced: “Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus. If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely.” Wow. This is absolutely insane! First, SpaceX is targeting its first-ever payload mission to Mars by the end of 2026. This timeline is incredibly aggressive, giving SpaceX engineers only about a year and a half to prepare for and execute a historic interplanetary flight.
The Manta Ray: How America’s Futuristic Underwater Drone will Change Warfare
Explore the world’s oceans like never before with the Manta Ray, DARPA’s cutting-edge underwater drone. Discover its innovative design, development, and potential to revolutionize naval warfare. Dive in now!
Is Aurora On The Cusp Of Commercializing Driverless Trucks?
Aurora’s stock had a wild ride this month and CEO Chris Urmson, who led Google’s self-driving car program in its pre-Waymo days, thinks it’s on the cusp of commercializing driverless trucks. But profitability is years away.
Boston Dynamics Puts Atlas to Work (With New ‘Hands’)
In new video of Atlas from Boston Dynamics, the humanoid robot is shown performing work-like tasks for the first time: including a new set of grippers, autonomous behaviors, and the ability to self-correct errors.
Nvidia Finally Reveals The Future Of AI In 2025…
AI agents and AI reasoning to perform innumerable tasks including physical, through robots.
NVIDIA NeMo is a platform for building, customizing, and deploying generative AI models.
Atlas robot shows off full autonomy in latest Boston Dynamics demo
Boston Dynamics released a new video Wednesday, Oct. 30, showcasing the latest capabilities of its humanoid robot, Atlas, which now operates without human oversight. In a simulated industrial environment, Atlas autonomously performs tasks such as moving engine parts between containers and sequencing dollies, using advanced machine learning and sensor technology to detect, grasp and position items. Unlike many robotics demonstrations, Atlas operates without pre-programmed steps or real-time human control. Boston Dynamics says the robot can dynamically respond to changes in its environment, adjusting its approach if, for example, a part doesn’t fit as expected. This adaptability is powered by a combination of camera-based sensors, force sensors and advanced software, enabling Atlas to detect and refine its actions in real time. This level of autonomy contrasts with Tesla’s Optimus robot, which has shown reliance on remote human operators for guidance. In October, Boston Dynamics announced a partnership with the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) to further enhance Atlas’ capabilities with TRI’s behavior models, enabling the robot to quickly adapt to complex tasks required in factory settings. These models, similar to large language models, allow Atlas to learn physical tasks with reduced training needs and improved durability on the job. The newest model of Atlas is fully electric, a shift from its previous hydraulic system, allowing for smoother and more precise movements. Supported by Hyundai, Boston Dynamics sees this collaboration with TRI as a significant step toward developing flexible, humanoid robots capable of performing everyday industrial tasks. CEO Robert Playter described the initiative as focused on creating robots that can handle a wide range of tasks in manufacturing and beyond. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has predicted that by 2040, the global market will include at least 10 billion humanoid robots priced between $20,000 and $25,000. While Atlas marks a leap forward, experts say its long-term success depends on achieving affordability, durability, and scalability to make widespread industrial applications feasible.
Meet the world’s ‘most advanced’ humanoid robot
Standing in the office of Will Jackson, founder of Engineered Arts, is Ameca, a robot that can talk and move like a human.
It is the latest and most advanced iteration of two-decades of robot development from Engineered Arts, a humanoid manufacturer based in Cornwall, England.
Ameca is an advanced piece of machinery, designed to interact with humans for entertainment and social purposes.
Its head alone contains 27 motors that help it replicate human facial movements. It has cameras in each of the eyes to allow Ameca to “see” the world around it.
The robot also has the ability to understand and respond to questions posed by humans. How? Ameca can run large artificial intelligence models, the kind that underpin ChatGPT. Currently, Engineered Arts is trialing GPT 4, the latest AI model from OpenAI.
Ameca can also tell jokes, respond in voices of celebrities or famous TV characters, and even dance. She even addressed concerns about whether robots pose a threat to humanity.
The robot cannot yet walk, but Engineered Arts is working on technology to allow Ameca to do so.
Watch CNBC Tech: The Edge’s visit to Engineered Arts’ headquarters in Falmouth, U.K., and even a short interview with Ameca, in the video above.
On the Front Lines With Ukraine’s Killer Drone Pilot | WSJ
“Darwin” is one of Ukraine’s deadliest drone pilots in its war against Russia. But the 20-year-old must contend with his own personal evolution after hundreds of successful missions in a modern survival of the fittest.