There's Reportedly a New Job-Killing Humaniform Robot - but Will It Be Practical?

I still maintain that we will solve today's problems with tomorrow's technology, and part of that technology will be robotic, possibly even driven by some level of artificial intelligence (AI). But a lot of the "job-killing" industrial robots have, to my thinking, some practicality problems. Here's why:

Some major industries, like automobile manufacturing, have been heavily automated for many years, with much of the assembly done by robots. Watch:

What do you notice about all the robotics in that state-of-the-art plant?

They aren't humaniform robots - androids. But now, there's another humaniform robot, another android, that is being heralded as the next human job-stealer.

Across industries, companies are feeling the squeeze from labor shortages, rising costs and nonstop pressure to boost efficiency.
Robots are quickly becoming real-life solutions, and their promise has never felt more relevant. With factories and warehouses scrambling to fill essential roles, the search for fresh ideas is heating up.
That's where AEON comes in. Hexagon's new humanoid robot is built to step into these tough environments, handling repetitive and error-prone tasks so businesses can keep things running smoothly and safely. By bringing advanced robotics like AEON onto the factory floor, industries get a chance to not just fill workforce gaps, but also rethink how work gets done, raising the bar for productivity and workplace safety.

Honestly, though, why the android layout? Is the human form the most efficient they could come up with? It seems like a lower-profile mechanism would be more stable. There is an argument to be made for the upper half being more or less humaniform. This is the half that would be interacting with what was previously a job entrusted to humans, and if the robot can literally step in, without a major revamping of workstations, that would be an advantage. But the lower half? Four "legs" rather than two would lend a great deal of stability, while retaining an ability to go up and down stairs designed for humans.

This new robot, of course, is combined with AI.

AEON's impressive capabilities are powered by a robust technology stack. NVIDIA's robotics platform delivers the artificial intelligence and computing muscle needed for real-time decision-making and continuous learning. Microsoft Azure provides a secure, scalable cloud infrastructure for training AEON's AI and managing data. Maxon's advanced actuators give AEON its agile, human-like movement, enabling it to tackle a wide range of tasks across various environments.

Now, the manufacturers are shooting for versatility, rather than designing a robot that (like the ones shown in the Ford video) is designed and built for a specific purpose, like installing a rear-view mirror on a car or truck.

Watch: Skynet Comes to Life? Out of Control Chinese Robot Appears to Attack Workers

What I would want to know is this: How well will a robot react when something goes wrong? Will its AI software enable it to detect when a specific failure mode is trending upward? That may be possible - I'm not a software guy. But as an old quality management systems (QMS) guy, I'd rather not see humans dealing with anything more complicated than picking up materials from the end of the line and carrying them to the next station, or to a warehouse, or something that won't and can't affect product quality.

Of course, the very real danger lies in the possibility that humans will aid androids in breaking their programming.

Now, if someone builds a robot that will help me pack moose quarters out of the bush, then they'll have my attention.

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