Robots are still a far cry from the ones that turned on humanity in I, Robot and the Terminator movies, but they are rapidly becoming more advanced. For example, Boston Dynamics has a dog-like robot that can open doors, and a humanoid one that does parkour and gymnastics. Here are 10 more outrageous skills robots have picked up in recent years.
1. Play soccer and Simon Says simultaneously
Researchers at MIT designed their quadrupedal mini cheetah to be virtually indestructible: it has the dexterity of a yoga teacher, can nail a 360-degree backflip and, when kicked to the ground, recovers in one kung-fu-like swoop. So far, the army of tiny bots have mastered soccer and Simon Says.
2. Cook a gourmet dinner
In a few years, its entirely possible that robot chefs will be as common a household item as toasters or coffee makers. U.K.-based tech company Moley has created an entirely robotic kitchen, which features a set of dexterous arms that can hold utensils, crack eggs, measure ingredients and even do the dishes. The master robo-chef is able to prepare hundreds of recipes from around the world, all of which can be downloaded from an electronic library. The consumer version is expected to launch by the end of the year.
3. Make rock music
A team of German engineers decided to put a literal spin on heavy metal with Compressorhead, a fully animatronic rock band. Each of its four members the aptly named Fingers (a guitarist with 78 fingers), Stickboy (a four-armed drummer), Bones (the bass player), and the latest addition, Junior (the lead singer, which the bands creators crowdfunded more than $400,000 to build) plays a real instrument. Since the band formed in 2013, it has released a full album and performed at music festivals in the U.K., Russia, France, Australia and even Canada.
4. Give hugs
Researchers in Stuttgart, Germany have created a real-life version of Disneys Big Hero 6. (A robot deemed so lovable that it won 2015s Most Huggable Character award.) HuggieBot standing over five feet tall and weighing 450 pounds asks humans for hugs (and even says please) before embracing them in its massive metal arms. Its creators hope that one day, HuggieBot can be used for emotional support in college dorms and senior facilities.
5. Win at Rock Paper Scissors
Even past victors of the World Rock Paper Scissors Championship (yes, thats a real thing) stand no chance against the University of Tokyos Janken robot, which has never lost a game ever. Instead of relying on prediction, the bot uses high-speed recognition to determine what shape the human hand is going to make, then reacts with the winning move. The entire process only takes a thousandth of a second.
6. Ski like an Olympian
During last years winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, humans werent the only ones competing in Alpine skiing. At the nearby Welli Hilli ski resort in Hoenseong, eight robot athletes zipped down the slopes to compete for a prize of $10,000. Each bot had to be over 50 cm tall, maneuver around the flag poles and needed to have joints that allowed them to bend their knees and elbows. The snow pants were optional.
7. Run a hotel
For just under $200, you could spend a night in a hotel run by robots. At Japans Henn na Hotel, almost every single thing from the receptionists (a female android and an English-speaking dinosaur) to the luggage porter to the room service is automated. In an unfortunate turn of events, half of the 243 robots staff were laid off earlier this year, but the hotel is still fully operational.
8. Build IKEA furniture
If theres a single thing everyone can agree on, its that trying to assemble IKEA furniture is a hellish process. Researchers in Singapore want to spare amateur furniture builders from ever having to crack another instruction manual, so they created a set of robotic arms that can assemble an IKEA chair in just 20 minutes. While most manufacturing bots function assembly line-style, this robot uses 3D cameras to correctly identify which parts it needs, then pieces them all together.
9. Perform brain surgery
Earlier this month, doctors in Toronto performed the worlds first-ever brain surgery using robotics. The patient had suffered a major aneurysm, and surgeons used a remote controlled robotic arm to guide a catheter from an incision made near her groin all the way up to her brain.
10. Lead a funeral
In Japan, hiring a Buddhist monk for a funeral can cost upwards of $3,000. Pepper a robe-wearing robot priest is able to chant sutras while simultaneously tapping a drum for a fifth of the cost. Bonus: the automated monk can live-stream the ceremony to those who are unable to attend.
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