The world of humanoid robotics is making tremendous progress, with new models being developed and trained at an unprecedented pace.
Astribot, a robotics firm based in Shenzhen and owned by Stardust Intelligence, seems to be making great strides in this field with its AI robot assistants. Recently, the company released a video showcasing its humanoid S1 robot’s incredible speed and agility in performing household tasks, which is a remarkable achievement for a robot.
The AI-powered humanoid robot industry is quickly becoming a hotbed of innovation and competition. Just last month, OpenAI introduced two impressive bots: a laundry-folding bot that had “soft-touch” skills and another bot that showed next-gen natural language reasoning ability. Then, Boston Dynamics introduced the Atlas robot, and China’s UBTech unveiled its soft-touch speaking bot, Walker S. And now, Astribot’s S1 bot has truly given us the chills with its incredible speed and precision.
According to Astribot, its S1 humanoid robot can move at 10 meters per second and handle 10 kg per arm. However, it also indicates that an average adult male falls short of these metrics, so there’s no need to be alarmed. The robot’s speed is demonstrated in a video where it smoothly pulls a tablecloth from under a stack of wine glasses without disturbing them.
Astribot is not just quick but also remarkably precise. The robot can perform a wide range of tasks, such as pouring wine, shaving a cucumber, flipping a sandwich in a frying pan, and even writing in calligraphy. The video also shows that the robot can closely mimic human movements, making it a promising learner.
Astribot’s parent company, Stardust Intelligence, was founded by Lai Jie, who has worked with Tencent Robotics Laboratory, Baidu, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He led the development of Tencent’s wheel-legged robot, Ollie, and many other new types of robots.
He claims that the name Astribot comes from the ancient Latin proverb “Ad astra per aspera,” which means “a journey through hardship to reach stardust.” This reflects the company’s long-term plan and firm commitment to the development and popularization of AI robot technology.
According to Astribot’s website, the company started operations in 2022 and took a year to develop its first humanoid robot, S1. The company claims that S1 is an advanced product and the closest to human operating performance.
The S1 robot can execute intricate tasks and mimic the operational speed and adaptability of adults. The company claims that the robot is currently undergoing rigorous testing with large models and is set to be released commercially in 2024. However, Astribot has not shared much technical information about the S1, and it’s unclear whether the robot has any independent locomotion abilities or if it’s only meant to be used on a counter-top.
