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Ask the most bullish representatives of big AI companies, and theyll tell you that robotic colleagues and house staff are just around the corner. A massive market for robotic aids, powered by AI brains, could contribute huge sums to the bottom line of tech firms. Elon Musk predicted earlier this year that they could produce $30 trillion in revenue for his companies alone. Picture what those robots are, and your minds eye likely conjures an image of a humanoid robot: Two arms, two legs, a head, all in human-like proportions. Thats what the biggest players in the sector like Tesla, Figure and Unitree see, too: Distinctly human-shaped cutting-edge hardware. Yet the fixation on making robots look human could, perhaps, lead the tech sector into trouble, reckons Jonathan Aitken, a robotics researcher at the University of Sheffield. This makes them harder to design and build well, especially with the kind of robustness and efficiency required to perform tasks in the environment, he says. Aitken points out that the human hand has some 27 degrees of freedom, making it a significantly complex system, which is both lightweight, yet powerful and with significant redundancy in movement. Teslas Optimus robot doesnt include all those degrees, paring it down instead to 22 different degrees of freedom. But it still relies on a huge number of parts, working in tandem. Tendons are tricky It’s little surprise, then, that The Information reports Tesla, which aimed to produce thousands of the robots by this summer, quietly scrapped that goal when they realized that making hands that can grip, move, and manipulate objects at the level of dexterity required, was too tricky. The hand-based holdup is just the start of Teslas travails with its Optimus robots, as Fast Company has previously reported. But its not unique to Musks company. Smaller connections like human-sized digits on humanoid robots that come into frequent use can also wear and tear more easily than larger joints, powered by actuators, the robotic equivalent of muscle: pumps that turn power into movement, and connected by planetary roller screws, which have been described as the expensive secret behind humanoid robots. Tendons are tricky, says Scott Walter, one of the worlds leading experts on robot design and the chief technical advisor for Visual Components, a manufacturing production design company. They are likely having creep elongation over time and abrasion issues that hinder long term reliability, he says. It’s not just the weaker elements of the robotic joints, like tendons, that would face abrasion issues, he says. The regular rubbing can damage contact surfaces, made from aluminum. But even the actuators at a humanoid hand-sized scale can be tiny and finicky in terms of maintenance. Only a handful of manufacturers, many of them based in China, can produce actuators at the scale and standard needed for such frequent use. Better than human It all begs the question of why tech firms are building robots that look like humanshands and allin the first place. Aitken says theres no good reason why a robot needs to resemble a human, adding that the better question is what a robot would look like if designed specifically for the tasks it was expected to carry out. However, one way that humanoid robots may be an impovement on their more mundane-looking alternatives is in how they interact with the environment weve built up over centuries. The easiest robot to adapt into the world are humanoid robots because we built the world for us, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said last year. Its not just in terms of what happens when robots get let loose in the world. Its also how they are trained to interact with that environment. We also have the most amount of data to train these robots than other types of robots because we have the same physique, said Huang, whose company is developing the GR00T operating system for robots. The humanoid form is ideal for general purpose robotics, especially as a drop-in replacement for human tasks, Walter says. But for special or narrow applications, different form factors make sense. Others agree that humanoids arent always up to the job. The humanoid form factor is somewhat of a red herring, says Aaron Dollar, professor of mechanical engineering and computer science at Yale University. Yes, it makes for a more complex system that introduces a lot of additional challenges over simpler form-factors. But we haven’t figured out how to reliably do practical dexterous manipulation in simpler systems, either. Its unsurprising, then, that Tesla is struggling with Optimus. Optics versus utility Aitken suggests that the reason Musk has chosen a humanoid design has more to do with optics than utility. Undoubtedly Optimus is driven by the sci-fi view of what a humanoid robot is, given the sleek lines and frame. But there’s no need for it to look in this way as it’s just an aestheticarguably though, people may find it more acceptable in this form as it fits the public perception of a robot. However, humanity has been more welcoming of change than we perhaps would think in the last century or more: Weve hopped into planes and cars that would have looked out of place or unusual and gotten used to it, just as we have to mobile checkouts and other odd-looking tech thats come our way. Non-humanoid robots could be just another example where we adapt. It’s for that reasonthe belief that humanoid robots will soon be encroaching into our lives, and interacting with people, and need to seem non-threatening. Aitken points out that from an object manipulation, payload carrying capacity, and stability perspective a quadruped robot with an arm attached to the top of it may well be a better option than a humanoid. The question is whether this would seem more threatening, he says. I do think that people may well find the look of it a little more challenging.
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E-Commerce
In the midst of the current government shutdown, thousands of flights across the U.S. have been delayed or cancelled. With no clear end to the shutdown in sight, its time to revive a tried-and-true tool thats dependably delivered soul-crushing news to fliers for more than a decade: the Misery Map. The Misery Map is a live tool that tracks weather across the U.S., tallies the number of delays and cancellations at every major airport in the country across 17 city hubs, and graphs popular flight destinations with the chances that upcoming flights will actually make it on time. Operated by the flight tracking website Flight Aware, the map has been delivering a no-nonsense picture of how bad your day at the airport will be since 2013and if the last few days are anything to go by, you should probably just bookmark it now. Why is air travel so bad right now? During a government shutdown, air travel is one of the services to feel an immediate impact. Thats because, during a shutdown, air traffic controllers are considered essential workers, but not quite essential enough to receive a paycheckmeaning they have to keep showing up to work with only the promise of future retroactive pay. Back in 2019 during a partial government shutdown, rampant air traffic control and TSA agent absences were one key factor that pressured the government to reopen. And now, just nine days into the current shutdown, those absences are already putting a strain on air travel infrastructure. Over the last several days, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered a reduction in the number of flights in and out of Orlando International Airport in Florida and Newark Liberty International Airport due to low staffing. On the afternoon of October 6, Hollywood Burbank Airports control tower shut down entirely due to a lack of air controllers, forcing pilots to follow procedures typically used at small airports with no control tower. According to data from Flight Aware, total daily flight delays and cancellations averaged around 5,000 between October 6 and October 8. The FAA told NBC News on October 8 that delays have been reported at airports in Boston; Burbank, California; Chicago; Denver; Houston; Las Vegas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; and Phoenix. As long as the government shutdown continues, delays are expected to become more common. How to use the Misery Map For anyone with an upcoming flight, the current uncertain state of air travel means that an already stressful travel day might get exponentially worse. Thats where Misery Map comes in. The beauty of the Misery Map is in its simplicity. According to this tool, a flight can only have two states of being: on time or misery. Flights in the on time category are noted in green, whereas “miserable” flights are recorded in red. Each of the maps 17 hubs includes a circular graph thats divided into red and green chunks based on how many of its flights have proceeded according to plan for that day. At a quick glance, the map dilutes the complicated flight landscape to help travelers understand their odds of a pain-free travel experience at any given time. For those looking for more details, the Misery Map includes several other helpful features. By hovering over any given city, fliers can see how other flights have fared on popular routes that day. Routes indicated in green have seen a majority of on-time flights, while those in red have already seen delays. A play button in the lower left side of the screen even lets users watch a mutli-day timelapse of the tracker to understand how flight conditions have evolved based on the day, time, and weather conditions. Travelers can also search for a specific departing flight for more details on its flight path and average delay times. We can all agree that flight delays are miserablebut at least there’s a way to see that you’re not the only one dealing with travel woes. After all, misery loves company. [Screenshot: FlightAware]
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E-Commerce
Flight delays and disruptions at U.S. airports have persisted for a fourth consecutive day due to staffing issues stemming from the government shutdown, which began on October 1. Air traffic controllers are expected to work without pay during the shutdown. As federal employees begin to feel the financial impact of the shutdown, many are calling out of work. And as the shutdown continues, many airports are struggling with growing staffing issues. Here’s what you need to knowespecially if you’re flying soon. Over 16,000 flights have been delayed since Monday According to FlightAware, which tracks flight delays, disruptions, and cancellations, as of late Thursday morning, more than 16,000 flights flying into, within, or out of the U.S. have been delayed since Monday, October 6. On Monday, October 6,154 flights were delayed and 84 were canceled. On Tuesday, October 7, 3,849 flights were delayed and 70 were canceled. On Wednesday, October 8, 4,608 flights were delayed and 60 were canceled. As of 11:50 a.m. ET today, 1,698 flights flying into, within, or out of the U.S. have been delayed, and 55 flights were canceled. Temporary ground delays have been issued to slow air traffic The FAA has issued temporary ground delays at several airports this week. Some of the impacted airports include Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Nashville International Airport (BNA), and Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). On Monday, the FAA issued a temporary ground stop at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR). Reports indicate that the airport was unstaffed for several hours. An October 9 FAA operational plan notes the following airports may experience possible ground delays today: Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport (FLL) LaGuardia Airport (LGA) Miami International Airport (MIA) Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) Orlando International Airport (MCO) Whats causing continued flight delays? Federal employees working at airports, including air traffic controllers and TSA agents, are considered essential workers. That means they must keep working without pay during the government shutdown. Airports are experiencing staffing issues as more employees call out sick. Flight disruptions are expected to continue throughout the shutdown. Heres what to do if youre flying soon The impact of flight delays may be more noticeable this weekend. There will likely be an increase in air travel as Monday is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and some people may have off work and choose to travel during the long weekend. If you have a flight scheduled in the coming days, you may face disruptions. Remember to be kind to airport and airline employees. They have no control over flight delays and cancellations. It’s good practice to check your flight status before heading to the airport; you can check the status of your flight on your airline’s website or mobile app. Travelers can also check the FAA’s National Airspace System Status website for information regarding widespread delays at specific airports. FlightAware also publishes its MiseryMap, which uses recent data to compare flight delays and cancellations vs. on-time flights at major airports nationwide. If your flight is canceled or if a flight delay causes you to miss a connection, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines have policies that state they’ll rebook you on the next available flight. Fast Company reached out to American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines for comment on the flight delays. We’ll update this story if we receive replies.
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E-Commerce
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