The Navy Is Building Half-Humanoid Robots
Sarcos Robotics have unveiled a new line of robots and they are straight out of science fiction.
This article is more than 2 years old
Robots are becoming a more prominent part of our world with every passing day. They continue to change the landscape of how the industrial world functions and how the future of labor will be shaped. One of the leading companies in this field is Sarcos Robotics, who has been producing the line of Guardian robots and exoskeletons. They recently unveiled the newest iteration of this line and it is something to behold.
The Guardian XT is the latest in the company’s line of robots that promises to make more dangerous and intensive jobs far easier for humans. This model is a remote-controlled unit that is made of a humanoid-shaped upper torso with two arms. The base of the machine will actually be variable and could be attached to various platforms like a scissor lift or bucket truck.
You can actually watch some of the robots in action in this video from Sarcos Robotics:
As you can see in the video, Sarcos Robotics has been working in the field of robots for decades. They have actually contributed a number of animatronic for commercial usage as well. You can see their work if you ride any of the Pirates of the Caribbean rides at Disney theme parks, the Jurassic Park attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood, or if you watch the fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Their work is one of the best in the business.
So it is pretty exciting to see them continue to expand and explore the possibilities with robots in the industrial sector. Human labor can certainly be improved by robotic assistance and operation, and the Guardian XT line promises to make that even safer and multi-capable than the company’s previous line of exoskeletons.
It is pretty amazing to see these kinds of technological advancements become more and more commonplace. Robots as manually operated tools can only make conditions safer for workers from all walks of industry. It is only when we get into the discussion of artificial intelligence and robots that more difficult and scary questions can be raised. But, these kinds of tools are nothing but beneficial to the overall advancement of humanity.
With Sarcos Robotics working with the Navy, it is assumed that a lot of these models will be used in situations like shipyards and other nautical applications. Regardless, it is likely that the work Sarcos does on these robots can have far-reaching applications across the entire spectrum of manual labor. If it helps keep workers safer and teaches new, employable skills to a new generation, then it is nothing but a win-win.
We only wish the Sarcos logo didn’t give us some heavy flashbacks to Omni Consumer Products and Cyberdyne Systems. It is great to see science-fiction help inspire the next wave of advanced robots. We just can’t help but remember that a lot of science-fiction stories about robotics are cautionary tales about how such technology can misappropriated for nefarious purposes. We hope the folks at Sarcos have gotten in some recent watches of RoboCop and The Terminator.
