Writing the DNA of robotics

"We're at a rare inflection point. Robots are moving from research labs and factory floors into everyday life. Right now, they're being dropped into human spaces and, often, missing the mark. Yet embodied AI is becoming more intelligent, manipulation more capable, and perception more attuned. These shifts are giving robotics a new expressive range, the ability to move, interact, and take shape in ways that feel natural in human environments. It's a moment full of possibility."

"Currently, people see robots as humanoid helpers or robotic arms, but we don't have to be limited to these. They represent only a small slice of a much broader category of intelligent and autonomous physical systems, which are starting to show up across hotels, operating rooms, and beyond. Together, they make up an emerging landscape where many meaningful use cases haven't yet been defined. Though they'll share capabilities around intelligence and automation, each will need a distinct format that expresses its promise."

"All these use cases will require different robotic formats. What connects them is the need to fit and belong in human spaces. And not just physically fit, being able to navigate spatial and material complexities, but fit into the inherent social constructs these spaces embody. We need systems that move with the grain of human life, make people comfortable with their presence, and offer moments of surprise, delight, and personality."

Robots are transitioning from labs and factories into everyday human environments but often fail to integrate effectively. Embodied AI, improved manipulation, and sharper perception expand robotic expressive range, enabling natural movement and interaction in human settings. Intelligent autonomous physical systems will appear in diverse contexts like hotels and operating rooms, requiring formats beyond humanoid figures and robotic arms. Each use case needs distinct forms that physically navigate spatial and material complexities and respect social norms. Robots should move with human rhythms, make people comfortable, and provide surprise, delight, and personality while preserving human dignity.

Read at Fast Company