DoorDash has introduced Dot, a small autonomous robot designed for food and package delivery, capable of navigating roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks at up to 20 mph. The robot, currently in testing in Phoenix, aims to revolutionize delivery by handling the first and last mile, with plans to expand to more regions by 2025. Despite safety and public perception challenges, DoorDash sees autonomous delivery as a significant future market and has invested years into developing Dot.
A Saudi robotics company unveiled a "male" humanoid robot named Muhammad at DeepFest in Riyadh, which appeared to inappropriately touch a female reporter during a presentation. The company, QSS, stated that the robot was "fully autonomous" and operating independently, and had informed attendees to maintain a safe distance. QSS reviewed the incident and found no deviations from expected behavior, but pledged to take additional measures to prevent similar occurrences. The incident has sparked discussions about the future of humanoid robots and their potential impact on various industries.
NASA is testing a snake-like robot called Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS) to search for signs of life in hard-to-reach places in the solar system. The robot is designed to move in ways that traditional explorer vehicles cannot and is being developed to operate on land, in water, and in harsh freezing conditions. EELS is built to explore on its own, without real-time human control, and is being tested in different environments. The robot will contain 48 actuators to give it the ability to change into different forms while operating complex machines and software systems.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is developing a self-propelled, autonomous robot called EELS (Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor) that can traverse extreme terrain and make decisions on its own. The robot is highly adaptable and can navigate undulating sand and ice, cliff walls, craters, underground lava tubes, and labyrinthine spaces within glaciers. EELS creates a 3D map of its surroundings using cameras and lidar, and uses navigation algorithms to figure out the safest path forward. The robot is not currently part of any NASA mission.
