Unmanned lab opens with robots at work as researchers push AI, automation - Japan Today
10 Comments TOKYO A Tokyo-based university has opened a laboratory where robots are carrying out medical experiments once handled by human researchers as it aims to eventually automate nearly the entire research process.
Key takeaways
The most recent headlines show a surge of activity around humanoid robots. In early May, Figure AI unveiled a video of two of its Helix 02 humanoids making a bed together, highlighting new training that lets the robots open doors, push furniture and drape clothing, though the company has not announced a consumer launch date. Figure AI, valued at $39 billion, is racing against rivals such as Tesla’s Optimus and other emerging makers. At the same time, Genesis AI introduced its GENE‑26.5 “brain,” a foundation model paired with a human‑hand‑shaped robotic gripper that it says overcomes the data bottleneck that has limited dexterous manipulation, allowing robots to perform tasks previously possible only with human hands. The company demonstrated the system on both Intel and NVIDIA hardware and is building a massive “human skill library” from egocentric video and internet footage to train the model. In China, Unitree released the GD01, a ten‑foot‑tall, half‑ton mech that can switch between bipedal and quadrupedal modes and is priced at $650 000, marking a bold entry into personal‑size humanoid platforms. Meanwhile, a Tokyo university opened an unmanned laboratory featuring ten robots, including the Maholo LabDroid humanoid, to automate medical experiments and eventually conduct entire research projects without human staff. These developments illustrate a rapid expansion of humanoid capabilities, from household assistance and industrial dexterity to large‑scale, autonomous research environments.
10 Comments
TOKYO
A Tokyo-based university has opened a laboratory where robots are carrying out medical experiments once handled by human researchers as it aims to eventually automate nearly the entire research process.
The facility at the Institute of Science Tokyo's Yushima campus, known as the Robotics Innovation Center, features 10 robots, including a humanoid model called Maholo LabDroid, and no human staff.
The university plans to significantly increase the number of automatons in the long run, integrating automation systems with artificial intelligence. Highlights from the CJPF Award Ceremony
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TaiwanIsNotChina
Geeter MckluskieToday 10:12 am JST
From what I read that wasn't even an autonomous robot. And then you have to make it walk and operate the machines in all sorts of environments.
1 ( +1 / -0 )
Geeter Mckluskie
Robot floor cleaners, but not for the rest of the house cleaning.
See above
-1 ( +0 / -1 )
timeon
The idea is gaining traction, and even startups researching the possibility. For those interested of a recent article on the topic from "Sakana AI":
0 ( +0 / -0 )
kurisupisu
@obladi 0 ( +0 / -0 )
kurisupisu
@obladi
I happened to visit the facility last month, and, one of the lab's long-term goals is to have a robot conceive, carry out, and publish an entire project.
i hope your visit was interesting but the facility management don’t understand the nature of the beast.
-2 ( +0 / -2 )
wallace
Robot floor cleaners, but not for the rest of the house cleaning.
2 ( +3 / -1 )
Geeter Mckluskie
How come robots can't clean my house yet then?
They can. It's just not featured in this article
-2 ( +0 / -2 )
virusrex
I happened to visit the facility last month, and, one of the lab's long-term goals is to have a robot conceive, carry out, and publish an entire project.
Mentioned in this article