Humanoid

​Advances in robotics are a constant, but every now and then the ingenuity of researchers crystallizes in maneuvers that are as awe-inspiring as they are terrifying. Here's some recent examples that will do the sleeping habits of those fearing a robotic apocalypse more harm than good.

​You might think that most new robots are designed to head off into factories or other workplaces, but the fact is that many of them are made to be used by robotics developers. That's the case with EVE r3, although its successor may find use in applications such as home care for the elderly.

A system combining robotics and animation software to create lifelike humanoid characters has been demonstrated in a new video by Engineered Arts. Dubbed Mesmer, the technology promises cheaper results by pulling disparate technologies into a single package.

​Toyota has unveiled an assistive robot test bed that builds on previous work undertaken by its Partner Robot wing. A human operator controls movement remotely in real time, with the T-HR3 busting moves like performing Tai Chi and building Lego-like structures with precision.​

​Humanoid robot builder and explorer of the uncanny valley Hanson Robotics is back, unveiling an educational robot called Professor Einstein that walks and talks like the real thing.

​Having previously shown off impressive capabilities dealing with uneven ground and being pushed around​, the humanoid Atlas robot built by Boston Dynamics has now demonstrated the ability to balance unaided on the edge of a plywood board less than an inch thick.

To give human workers a helping manipulator, JRL and Airbus Group have embarked on a four-year project to develop humanoid robots that can work on aircraft assembly lines.​

cientists at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University have taken the wraps off a creepy new humanoid named Nadine with her own personality, designed to play the role of social companion or personal assistant in homes and offices. ​​

The likes of Asimo, Valkyrie and ATLAS better make some room, as there's a new humanoid robot on the block. It's the third version of the University of Tehran's Surena robot, and it was unveiled this Monday.

Aldebaran Robotics' diminutive NAO robot recently completed an internship at the Mitsubishi UFJ bank in central Tokyo. Working in customer service, the robot helped many customers with any queries they had in Chinese and English, as well as Japanese.

It had to happen sooner or later; robots have replaced infants... at least, as subjects in psychological research being conducted at Indiana University. The robots are being used to study how infants learn and have revealed that posture and body position are important factors in early learning.

Like a teenager going off to college, DARPA's Atlas robot has cut the tether and is walking on its own without a safety line.