2024 will see the Waymo robot axis enter traffic, a second micromobility merger at CES, and new developments in transportation technology at CES.
LAS VEGAS – CES 2024 showcased a diverse spectrum of innovative technologies, including fitness devices, video games, and driverless automobiles. Nonetheless, robots are a constant presence in the enormous exhibition halls.
The Robot Report visited several booths at CES, including those in Eureka Park and other targeted sections. Here are some highlights of the top 11 robots seen at the event.
- Mobinn ascends the success stairs
A Korean enterprise called Mobinn specializes in autonomous last-mile delivery vehicles. While the concept of last-mile delivery is not new, Mobinn exhibited a unique wheeled robot capable of climbing stairs.
The robot can move up and down stairs thanks to the use of compliant wheels. A self-leveling box on top of the robot maintains cargo level, preventing your drinks and food from spilling out of their containers.
- Glidance guides for those with visual impairments
Glidance, the RoboBusiness PitchFire 2023 winner, also received a CES 2024 Innovation Award and displayed the most recent functional prototype of its Glide device on its stand. The robotic Glide, like a guide dog, guides those who are visually impaired.
When Glide ships later this year, the business intends for it to be both affordable and simple to use. I tried Glide (while closing my eyes). The experience was wonderful, and I can only think how exciting this technology would be for someone who has vision loss.
The Glidance crew informed me that during CES, celebrity Stevie Wonder visited the Glidance exhibit for a product demonstration.
- Unitree’s H1 humanoid steals the show
CES 2024 featured two full-size humanoid robots.
Kepler Robotics displayed a stationary mockup of the latest Kepler Forerunner K1 at its Eureka Park stand. The robot has 14 linear-axis and 14 rotary-axis motors. Unfortunately, the company was unable to provide live demonstrations of the Forerunner.
The Unitree H1 humanoid was the internet influencer darling of CES, and the company provided practically continuous live demos of the H1 at its exhibit.
Congratulations to the Unitree marketing team for their now-infamous “kick the robot” videos, which have been circulated on social media during the last six months. In the videos, H1 appears to be a stable humanoid platform with good balance and agility.
The Unitree H1 product presentations at CES 2024 were cringe-worthy, as the Unitree demo team walked the H1 robot into throngs of “internet tech influencers” with their cameras flashing.
The 150-pound (68-kilogram) robot danced with the audience inches away. A single tripping event would have sent the robot toppling onto an innocent bystander, generating immediate headlines. It would have been a PR nightmare and a setback for the industry.
However, there’s no disputing that the H1 was a popular choice at CES 2024, and the firm and its robot garnered a lot of media attention.
- Hyundai showcases future mobility technologies at CES 2024
Hyundai received a vote as one of the industry’s top mobility and robotics pioneers at CES 2024. It is the parent firm of Boston Dynamics, yet the Spot and Stretch robots played small parts in Hyundai’s CES 2024 presentation.
The company featured several sizable exhibits showcasing concepts related to autonomy in the future, such as autonomous freight and human mobility as well as an outlook on autonomous construction trucks. The Hyundai Construction Xite concept tractor was a stunning example of autonomous construction architecture.
- AV24 rolls into the showroom
The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) held a large stand in the automotive section at CES 2024, surrounded by well-known brand names. A completely functional version of the newest AV24 autonomous racer was on exhibit, demonstrating the integration of an entirely new autonomy stack into the vehicle.
The IAC has collaborated with numerous major automotive technology firms to integrate the most advanced lidar, radar, vision, and GPS sensors into the vehicle.
Digital twins of the cars used by each university team as well as digital twins of all the racetracks will be provided by dSpace and IAC as part of their expanded relationship. As a result, the teams will be able to fully train the AI drivers in simulation before transferring the AI models and driving code directly to the physical race vehicles.
Furthermore, the IAC organizers stated that sanctioned sim races may be held later this year.
- Updated Moxie is displayed by embodied AI
Embodied AI’s latest iteration of Moxie was on show at Amazon’s CES exhibit. Embodied recently announced new tutoring features in the newest Moxie software release, which it showed at the event.
Amazon had a separate expo suite that displayed all of their physical consumer and smart home items. Moxie thrilled the assembled crowds by demonstrating its interactivity.
Fingervision, a small Japanese firm, employs microscopic cameras embedded into the gripper fingers of an industrial robot.
They give feedback on the grip force and “slippage” of an item held in the gripper. This is performed by visualizing the point at which the fingertips touch an object via an opaque surface. This is how the company’s name came to be.
The company has deployed its first grippers in an application in which robots pick up and package fried chicken nuggets.
- Gatik received honorable mentions at CES 2024 for autonomous trucks
Gatik unveiled the third iteration of its on-road autonomous vehicle. The company has made an impact in autonomous logistics by deploying driving algorithms that design courses such that the truck only performs right-hand turns, avoiding more difficult and dangerous left-hand turns.
Gatik debuted fully autonomous, freight-only commercial deliveries on the middle mile with Walmart in 2021. Shortly thereafter, it completed the first fully autonomous deployment for Loblaw, Canada’s largest grocer.
To create “Smart Tires,” the enterprise has partnered with Goodyear Tires to deliver real-time feedback to autonomous drivers on tire conditions, which can aid in maintaining control and traction.
- Bobcat Rogue X2 prepares to shift the soil
At CES 2024, Bobcat unveiled the Bobcat Rogue X2, an autonomous concept prototype. The all-electric, self-driving robot is intended for material handling and ground-altering operations on construction, mining, and agriculture sites.
The design prototype of the Rogue X2 at CES used wheels rather than tracks, but manually driven Bobcats may be outfitted with tracks, thus a production version of the Rogue could have similar specifications.
- Ottonomy IO partners with Harbor Lockers
Ottobot Brew
The latest generation of Ottobot may now be customized with a Harbor Lockers payload thanks to a new agreement with the company. This contains both the Harbor Locker physical locker infrastructure and the Harbour Locker application interface.
Ottonomy is extending its autonomous last-mile delivery technology through a vendor partnership for the first time.
- Lawnmowing robots appear in North America
CES is one of the world’s largest consumer electronics shows. While The Robot Report does not normally cover consumer robots, it is worth noting that lawn-mowing robotics were prevalent at CES this year, with a dozen firms demonstrating their autonomous systems.
The consumer lawnmower industry in Europe is already mature, while in North America, adoption is still in its early phases. It is impossible to judge market leaders without evaluating all of the lawnmowing robots, but the two most promising options at the exhibition were the new Yarbo Lawn Mower and Segway Robotics’ latest generation of Navimow.
