Below
are some of the androids currently being developed around the world.
This list will be updated as more information becomes available.
Actroid
This female
android was first unveiled in 2003. Several more advanced units have
since been developed. All feature silicon rubber skins, along with a
variety of movements and behaviours to make them look and feel more
humanlike. In Japan, some have already begun to appear in receptionist
roles.* Shown here is "Geminoid
F", the latest model.
ASIMO
ASIMO is
perhaps the most well-known android in the world today. Created by Honda,
it stands 130cm (4' 3") tall and weighs 54 kilograms (114 pounds).
The robot resembles a small astronaut wearing a backpack and can move
at speeds up to 6 km/h (4.3 mph). ASIMO is the current model in a line
of twelve robots that began in 1986. The name is an acronym for "Advanced
Step in Innovative MObility".
Domestic
robots
Until
recently, the idea of robots appearing in peoples' homes was considered
science fiction, or something which only the very rich had access to.
However, the consumer robotics market is booming at the moment. Thanks
to falling costs, they are beginning to enter mainstream society. Sales
of professional and personal service robots are expected to reach 11.5
million in 2011, more than double the number in 2008.*
Initially
popular in Japan, Korea and the Far East, they are now spreading to
Western homes too. Some robots clean carpets or mow the lawn; others
help busy professionals entertain children or pets; other machines feed
and bathe the elderly and incapacitated.
Korea has
a stated goal of "a robot in every home by 2020," and Samsung
has already developed a robot maid that "recognizes people, can
turn on microwave ovens, washing machines and toasters, and also pick
up sandwiches, cups and whatever else it senses as objects."*
PR2
PR2 is
a two-armed, wheeled robot. It is being developed by Willow Garage,
a robotics research lab in California. The name stands for "Personal
Robot". In the future, it is hoped that this machine could assist
with a number of household tasks, as well as learning about its environment.
A prototype version has already demonstrated the folding of towels -
and this can be achieved "on
the fly", rather than using a fixed set of movements.*
Each of
the robot's two arms can lift up to 1.8 kilograms each. It has two cameras
and a 3D laser scanner to help it picture the world and to identify
objects.
Roomba
The Roomba
is perhaps the most well-known domestic robot currently available. This
autonomous vacuum cleaner is made and sold by the iRobot Corporation.
Under normal operating conditions, it can navigate a living space and
its obstacles while vacuuming the floor. The machine was introduced
in 2002. By 2008 it had sold over 2.5 million units. Several updates
and new models have since been released, allowing the Roomba to better
negotiate obstacles and optimise cleaning.