Don't Mind That Man Behind The Curtain
Let's pull back the curtain on what robots can and can not do.
Aaron’s Thoughts On The Week
The worst crime is faking it. - Kurt Cobain
Many questionable robot videos have recently been popping up on various social media channels. AI-generated videos of robots being subbed in for humans or other things have been causing issues for a while now. One issue has been that many of them are fake, but the poster tries to sell that they are not fake and this is truly a robot doing something that no robot has ever done. This leads to credibility issues for both the person posting it and the robotics industry. The person may eventually lose their audience and fade away, but the damage to the overall industry can stick around for much longer.
This week, a video of Optimus, aka the Teslabot, was shown folding clothes, and social media channels went nuts praising Tesla for massive leaps in autonomous actions by a humanoid robot. The problem was that the robot was not doing the action autonomously. Something appeared to be off in the video for those who have had up-close interactions with many of these advanced systems and what goes into them. As we kept watching, we eventually saw the hint that the robot was being teleoperated and not folding clothes independently. Within hours of being “caught,” Elon Musk finally admitted that the robot was demonstrating something it could not do on its own…but hoped to do in the future.
Unfortunately for Tesla, this is the second time in 2024 (we are only in January, folks) that it has been called out for making a highly misleading video claim. Tesla produced a video (and Elon promoted it) claiming that their new Cybertruck beat a Porsche 911 while towing another Porsche 911 over a quarter mile. The problem was that, to the keen eye, the video only showed the race to the 1/8 mile mark rather than the traditional drag race of a quarter mile. But then someone did the math and showed why Tesla didn’t show the whole quarter-mile race. Again, Tesla was caught.
It is an understatement to say that Tesla and its CEO have been caught making outrageous claims about their tech one too many times. The misleading is starting to take its toll, with the company losing so much valuation in 2024 that some wonder if Musk will remain the world’s richest man as we advance to 2025.
Now, to be clear, there is nothing wrong with teleoperation. The issue is when teleoperation is used, but a claim of full autonomy is made. Now, most manufacturers and researchers are very honest when they post their videos. If teleoperation were used, they would say so in their description. This, however, does not apply to those who repost it and claim the robot is doing it autonomously.
When 2024 kicked off, researchers at Stanford University highly recommended their new 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐇𝐀 framework that showed an excellent example of imitation learning. A person would teleoperate with the robot using the framework, and then the robot would try to do the same task autonomously. Overall, the researchers found a 90% success rate of the robot “learning” how to do the task correctly from the teleoperation.
The problem came about later as media and social media influencers started to leave out the whole “teleoperation” part of the equation in their articles and posts. This blew back on the researchers, with many of them having to show that they make it very clear in their videos and research that they used teleoperation. Six Degrees shared the 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐇𝐀 work, and we made it very clear in our post that teleoperation was used.
This brings us back to the problem with social media influencers sharing some of these videos. If they are AI-generated videos, influencers need to point that out. Failure to do so is not doing anyone any favors, and in time, these influencers may continue to be successful with the general public. Still, they will become pariahs to the robotics industry and may find few friends for misleading people. For real robots, posts need to be clear about what the robot is doing and who is or is not controlling the robot. If the robot is being teleoperation, then say that. If you don’t know if the robot is being teleoperated or is doing it autonomously, don’t imply and maybe not post it unless you can fully describe what is happening.
Sadly, too many of these influencers are posting because they know they will get their LIKES even if the influencer has no idea what they are posting. Combine this with an audience that also doesn’t understand what they are seeing and the influencer implying something that it is not, and we get these massive blowback events, and it is not the influencer that gets the immediate ire but the manufacturer or researcher. Ultimately, the robotics industry gets hurt because they lose trust in the technology because of a few bad actors. Don’t believe me; talk to the Autonomous Vehicle industry after 2023’s “issues.”
In short, it is time to call bullshit when we see it.
Robot News Of The Week
Ready Robotics uses Nvidia Omniverse for Toyota industrial robotics
Ready Robotics has teamed up with Nvidia's Omniverse platform to simulate and program industrial robotics. This "sim-to-real" programming aims to advance industrial robotics by combining Ready Robotics' Ready ForgeOS and Nvidia Isaac Sim on the Omniverse platform. Toyota will be using this technology for its aluminum hot forging production lines.
BMW will put humanoid robots from Figure in a U.S. manufacturing facility
Figure, a humanoid robot manufacturing company, has partnered with BMW Manufacturing to deploy its robots in the car maker's U.S. facility. The aim is to use human-like robots to perform certain physical tasks. This marks the first commercial deal Figure has signed since it was founded in 2022. The number of robots that BMW will use has yet to be disclosed, but the partnership will initially start with small quantities and expand if performance targets are met. Brett Adcock, CEO at Figure, confirmed that Figure's humanoids will be integrated into BMW's manufacturing facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the largest automotive exporter in the U.S. and currently employs 11,000 people. The robots will be trained to perform specific tasks and deployed in the body shop, sheet metal, and warehouse processes within 12-24 months. Adcock also added that the robots have been designed to work safely next to humans. Working with BMW on automation in a manufacturing facility significantly validates Figure in the industry.
California-based farm-ng bags $10m to bring autonomy and robotics to smaller-scale growers
Farm-ng raised over $10 million in Series A funding to drive agricultural innovation with affordable robotics and AI solutions. Its modular electric robot, Amiga, and onboard AI computer empower small to mid-sized farms to increase yield and reduce operational costs. The Amiga, built for multiple environments, tasks, and crops, helps farms realize a rapid return on investment. Over 100 Amigas have been deployed in less than 18 months to execute a range of farming tasks. The funding round was led by Acre Venture Partners and 12 other investors.
Robot Research In The News
A hybrid control architecture that combines advantages of current quadruped robot controls
Swiss researchers proposed a hybrid control architecture that combines trajectory optimization with inverse dynamics and simulation-based reinforcement learning. Their approach achieves greater robustness, foot-placement accuracy, and terrain generalization. A deep neural network policy is trained in simulation to track optimized footholds. The proposed tracking controller generalizes across different trajectory optimization methods not seen during training.
Robotic dodecahedron searches the deep sea for new species
Researchers at the University of Rhode Island have developed the RAD2 sampler, a device designed to capture fragile deep-sea animals and collect tissue samples to construct 3D scans of the creatures. The RAD2 sampler can be mounted on any submersible and collects fresh tissue samples from living animals in situ. It is shaped like a dodecahedron, can fold and unfold on command, and takes a small tissue sample for later genetic analysis.
Robot Workforce Story Of The Week
WNE’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems (CAMS) collaborates with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and local industry partners to grow the advanced welding cluster. The project aims to deliver new highly skilled workers to regional employers and strengthen statewide ecosystems. The grant from the Innovation Institute at the Mass Tech Collaborative will support projects that contribute to a competitive advantage for existing and emerging industry clusters.
Check out this week’s Six Questions with Eugene Demaitre
Robot Video Of The Week
Another week means another new humanoid robot is making its debut. This time, the honor goes to Westwood Robotics. You have to love the shoes!
Upcoming Robot Events
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Oct. 8-10 Autonomous Mobile Robots and Logistics 2024 (Memphis, TN)
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