Bot Be Nimble

This week, many of the world leaders in technology are gathered at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.

Also in attendance is XR-1, a remarkably nimble humanoid created by INNFOS — a Chinese company that believes its bot could foreshadow the future of human-robot interactions.

Actuators, Mount Up

In an impressive video released on Sunday, INNFOS’ “intelligent service robot” demonstrates some of its capabilities, which include dancing, threading a needle, pouring a drink, and holding a raw egg without breaking it.

According to an INNFOS press release, XR-1 can do all of the above thanks to its unique actuators, which are the components that give a machine its ability to move.

Joint Effort

If we want to build a future in which humanoid robots are a regular part of everyday life, we’ll need actuators that allow for precise movements, can withstand impacts, and are compliant with safety regulations. INNFOS claims its independently developed Smart Compliant Actuator (SCA) meets all of those standards.

While it remains to be seen whether SCAs will become a “new trend of robot joints in the future,” as INNFOS claims they will in a press release, XR-1 is capable of some of the most fluid and life-like motions we’ve seen from a robot.

READ MORE: Video Friday: INNFOS Humanoid Robot, and More [IEEE Spectrum]

More on human-robot interactions: A Robot Is Learning to Cook and Clean in an Ikea Kitchen