This robot will be a household must-have by the end of the decade, doing chores for millions of Americans, an expert claims.
Geordie Rose, founder of Vancouver-based Sanctuary AI, has created a human-sized bot called Phoenix, which has already worked in two stores, packing and cleaning merchandise, he told DailyMail.com.
And he believes that within ten years, Phoenix or its predecessor will be able to perform all the tasks and chores that a human can do.
The Phoenix Android is already capable of doing chores like cleaning and tidying up and even stocking the refrigerator – and can ‘learn’ new skills just like a human.
Geordie Rose with the Phoenix robot (SanctuaryAI)
The robot’s flexible hands allow it to perform human-like tasks – and it has a sense of ‘touch’
Rose said: “General purpose robots must be able to perceive, understand and act on the world in the same way we do.
“This requires the creation of some kind of artificial general intelligence (AGI) – specifically human-like general intelligence.”
Rose believes it is realistic that this could happen within ten years.
He said the best way to create human-like artificial intelligence is to build human-like robots, pointing out that at the current rate of innovation, ten years is an “eternity” for AI.
He said: “Every month there are new developments in the AI world that could fundamentally change and advance the space.
‘At Sanctuary AI, we believe the best way to build the world’s first AGI is to build software systems to control advanced humanoid robots with similar senses (vision, hearing, proprioception and touch), actions (movement, speech) and goals (completing work tasks) as people.’
The electrically powered robot is five feet tall and weighs 155 pounds. It has a maximum speed of three miles per hour and can carry loads up to 55 pounds.
The company will not sell Phoenix robots, but will instead rent them out to do the work of human workers.
Goldman Sachs predicted that the humanoid robot market could be worth $150 billion a year globally within fifteen years – and that humanoid robots will be viable in factories between 2025-2028 and in other jobs between 2030-2035.
Elon Musk’s Tesla is building a rival robot called Optimus, which aims to take on any task a human can do – and which Musk has said could be “more important” than the company’s cars.
Rose believes that humanoid robots will be a defining technology for the 21st century.
He said: ‘These are much bigger than vacuum cleaners or washing machines. A vacuum cleaner is incredibly valuable, just like a washing machine. But those are special purpose technologies. What we build is very different.’
The key to the success of the Phoenix robot is the AI’s hands, as well as the Carbon AI software that the robot uses to ‘think’.
This allows the robot to ‘learn’ different skills: Phoenix is trained to perform tasks by a human operator who ‘controls’ it in virtual reality, but then learns to perform tasks independently.
Rose said more than 98 percent of jobs require human hands — and said Phoenix can already load items into a bag, clean mirrors, sort items and stock refrigerators.
The Phoenix robot was unveiled earlier this year
Elon Musk showed off his rival Tesla Optimus robot last year
He said haptic (vibration) sensors in the robot’s hands give the machine a sense of touch, and mean the hands are “as close as possible” to human hands in their ability to manipulate objects.
Phoenix has the “ability to think and then act and perform work tasks just like a person,” Rose said.
He said: ‘While we are extremely proud of our physical robot, the real star of the show is the underlying software.’
Based in Vancouver, Canada, Sanctuary AI has raised $100 million to research creating “human-like intelligence.”
The company believes such robots could one day be as ubiquitous as cars.
In tests at a Mark’s store in Langley British Columbia, the robot was able to perform 100 different tasks, 40 percent of all the tasks that human workers could perform – including packing merchandise, cleaning, labeling and folding. Another robot completed similar tasks in no time. Sport Chek store.
Rose said: “In the future, the goal is that our general-purpose robots will be able to do any job that humans can do.
“Our focus currently is on creating robots for companies to address the labor shortages they face. The world is experiencing declining birth rates and an aging population, resulting in a massive labor shortage. In the US alone, there are currently 9.9 million unfilled jobs, but only 5.8 million unemployed.