China World Expo

The World’s EXPO held in Shanghai, China, is another place where you can see glimpses of the future, including robotics evolution and developments in artificial intelligence. The robots exhibited have highly specialized and amazing individual skills. Farther down from the France building’s Paris Eiffel Tower exhibit, behind the thick glass walls obscured by hundreds of people wanting a closer look, were numerous humanoids living in the robot exhibit. Literally living - sitting, standing, stretching, moving, sleeping, turning, waving, making eye contact – some would sit a while, rest, get up and then interact with people.

Thousands of people waited in line seven hours to see the Japan
building. The climbing robots are outside on the Japan EXPO
building, climbing up and down all day.

by Humanoido

When I toured China, I suddenly found myself at the World's EXPO, pleasantly surprised by the robotics exhibitions.

The man beside me knew more about robots than I could imagine. He pounded on the window and frantically waved. At first, it seemed a little tongue-in-cheek to think that one of the NAO humanoids on display could respond, and in particular the one he was focused on... But surprisingly, he appeared to attract the attention of one (NAO is an advanced humanoid robot by Aldebaran, a French company).

NAO turned around to face the man, walked over and looked directly at him, eyes to eyes, and waved back! Coincidence or not, it made everyone a believer in its sophistication and life-like talents. These advanced robots can do more things, have more fluid motions and are more human and life-like than one might expect.

At the EXPO’s Japan building, outside on the tall rising skyscraper’s wall, three Japanese humanoid robots gripped the side of the building’s scaffolding structure and relentlessly, effortlessly, slowly climbed their way to the top and then down again. How they managed this skillful process all day, reliably, in about 130 degree sunlight was one of the most impressive displays of humanoid robots and reliable technology to behold. You could actually see their hands and feet reach for holding places and their faces turning, apparently looking around to find the best grip and foothold locations. They wore a kind of athletic jump suit and at first glance it made you wonder who was up there climbing the great wall!
 

That greeting was just an indication of more great things to come – inside the building was the stuff of the future. 

Walking past the three dimensional TV, things only seen in science fiction movies filled the room. If you could pull yourself away from the theater size screen where your hand motions manipulated windows and virtual reality, robots began to make their entrance. On the first stage, a robot moved over to greet you - not taking a single breath during an introductory speech in Mandarin Chinese.

On the theater stage, Toyota’s new personal robotic transport vehicle was impressively driven around. Another highlight was Toyota’s full size humanoid. It walked out onto stage right, raised a violin in hand and played a beautiful melody.

We live in an era with many specialized robots of 2020 – each robot has some particular skill, musical, social, or athletic, for example. It won’t be surprising in the next era to see

these specialties come together. 

Seeing the EXPO, it wouldn’t take too much imagination to dream about humanoids walking down the streets of Shanghai, blending in with humans.













The Expo 2010 in Shanghai China was open from May 1 to October 31, 2010 and an estimated 70 million visitors attended.

Meet Pepper

Pepper working at a restaurant at Taipei 101 in Taiwan. Photo by Humanoido

Meeting Pepper by Humanoido
I met Pepper a few days ago in Taiwan when he was working for the restaurant at Taipei 101. Pepper is a humanoid robot with the ability to read emotion, move, use face, hand and arm gestures, listen and speak.

Pepper's robot hands - fully articulated

Kiosk humanoid robots are now working all over in large futuristic cities. Taipei is no exception. However, Pepper is at the top of its line in terms of functions, level of features, and sophistication. Aldebaran, the manufacturing company, says it's designed to be kind, endearing, and surprising. Aldebaran claims they designed Pepper to be a genuine day-to-day companion, whose number one quality is his ability to perceive emotions. Pepper is the first humanoid robot capable of recognizing the principal human emotions and adapting his behavior to the mood. Pepper is already claiming jobs: working at 140 Softbank mobile stores in Japan and is adopted in some Japanese homes according to the manufacturers web site.

Pepper is a very articulated and expressive humanoid robot

 




























What is the cost of Pepper? According to the web site, base price is 198,000 Japanese yen, basic plan 14,800 yen × 36 months payment installments and a Pepper insurance pack is 9,800 yen x 36 months payment installments.

https://www.ald.softbankrobotics.com/en/Launch_Sales_of_Pepper

The eyes work very well for expressions and tracking. Pepper has the most realistic motions and movements in being expressive with face expressions and body positions. It appears real and alive. I like Pepper the most in the way it treats me as its number one priority. It makes eye contact with me, holds that attention faithfully, talks directly to me, and does not loose focus with me in a sea of 10,000 pushing and shoving people and kids taunting him. I remained its number one focus. That alone is an amazing accomplishment. Pepper is awesome!

The future of an expanded Pepper could be more functional. Given its detailed functional hands and arms, by adding a little more programming AI and brain, I believe it could help prepare breakfast in the kitchen, and perform other household chores such as collect and do the clothes wash, hang up the wash, collect/ fold/ and put away dried clothes and towels, and with further programming and attachments, vacuum the floor, be a home conversationalist, etc. If it could also follow me around and control the TV, Phone, Internet, and be an intelligence like Apple's mobile SIRI to do what I ask, then I want one.

Humanoid helpers are the long term dream. A robot to follow me around when shopping and carry my bags would be super helpful. It could also give me advice on product reviews and which items are best for purchase. In the night when charging, it could be by my side and help check phone messages, turn the lights on and off, and revise my wake alarm based on my ability to sleep or not sleep. If I ask for a Tylenol pain killer and a cup of water, Pepper should help. If I ask what is the latest Presidential news, it should tell me. Pepper has working fingers, hands, arms. It should give me a massage on the neck, arm or back when I don't feel good. Pepper should know how to lower a person's stress and help change a bad mood into good, by having a calming positive influence. Such a companion could carry on a conversation that is not cynical, condescending, or negative.

In continuing the wish list, if this humanoid had legs instead of wheels, it could take the elevator to main floor and collect my postal mail. I need a robot like Pepper to do useful things to help me in my daily life, follow me around and translate between English and Chinese. It could read the posted Chinese notices in English. It needs to be street smart, get in and out of taxis, walk steps, basically follow me around outside and inside. If I have a question to be answered by internet like google, Pepper should do that too. All in all, robotics is on the verge of something truly wonderful. Just add a little more capability and our home helpers will have arrived!

https://www.ald.softbankrobotics.com/en/cool-robots/pepper

Taipei 101 (Chinese: 臺北101 / 台北101) – stylized as TAIPEI 101 and formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center – is a landmark supertall skyscraper in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building was officially classified as the world's tallest in 2004, and remained such until the completion of Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2009. In 2011, the building was awarded the LEED platinum certification, the highest award according to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, and became the tallest and largest green building in the world.It has the fastest elevator going from the 5th floor to the 87th in 49 to 53 seconds. (Source Wiki)