Sanctuary AI humanoid general purpose robot: a deep dive with CEO Geordie Rose
Jul 31, 2023
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Geordie Rose, CEO of Sanctuary AI humanoid general purpose robot, discusses their mission to create human-like intelligence in robots. They explore building a fully vertically integrated robotics system, subjective reality, task planning, human-like full-body mobility, the importance of grippers, and challenges of bipedal walking for robots.
Sanctuary AI prioritizes the development of humanoid robots to create a general purpose machine that can understand and interact with the world like humans do.
Sanctuary AI envisions a solution for bipedal robots to hot-swap their own batteries, extending their uptime and operational autonomy.
Deep dives
Sanctuary AI's mission to create human-like intelligence in a general purpose robot
Sanctuary AI, an AI company, aims to develop a type of AI that mimics the intelligence of biological creatures. The company focuses on building humanoid robots because they believe that the type of intelligence a creature requires is strongly connected to how it senses and acts in the world. Their latest robot, Phoenix, is part of their ongoing efforts to create a general purpose machine that can understand and interact with the world like humans do.
The importance of physical embodiment in building intelligent software systems
According to Sanctuary AI founder Gordy Rose, to build a truly intelligent software system, physical embodiment in the real world is necessary. They prioritize the development of humanoid robots because understanding how to build the physical vehicle that the AI controls is straightforward. By focusing on in-hand manipulation and integrating senses into action, Sanctuary AI strives to create a powerful general task planner that can execute arbitrary goal-seeking behaviors guided by natural language prompts.
The potential of hot-swappable batteries in bipedal robots
Bipedal robots face challenges due to current battery technology, which limits their uptime. To address this, Sanctuary AI envisions a solution where robots are capable of hot-swapping their own batteries. By designing a robot with hands that can access the batteries and exchange them with recharged ones, the robot can remain operational and recharge as needed. This would enable untethered bipedal robots to autonomously manage their power supply and extend their battery life.
Applications of Sanctuary AI's general purpose robots
Sanctuary AI has started deploying its general purpose robots in retail environments, showcasing their ability to perform various tasks, including logistics, front-of-house, and back-of-house operations. They aim to focus on higher value tasks in the future, particularly in areas such as remote applications and manufacturing. By automating labor-intensive and challenging tasks, the robots can fill unfulfilled roles, improve operational efficiency, and create new opportunities for highly skilled and fulfilling work.
Right now might be the golden age of humanoid general purpose robot development.
Tesla, of course, is building the Optimus robot. Figure.ai is working on one as well, plus others like Chinese company Fourier Intelligence with the GR-1 Boston Dynamics, and Agility Robots.
So is Sanctuary AI.
Sanctuary says they’re on a mission “to create the world’s-first human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots.” They’ve recently released their 6th generation robot, called Phoenix, and have completed their first commercial deployment in March. They’ve raised over $100 million.
Today we’re chatting with co-founder and CEO Geordie Rose.
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