The world’s first humanoid robot that thinks with artificial intelligence is presented

Canadian tech company Sanctuary AI has unveiled the Phoenix humanoid robot. The project is aimed at creating the world’s first universal humanoid controlled by artificial intelligence.

Phoenix is trained using a telepresence system. The operator puts on a virtual reality headset and connects to a motion capture system, «seeing» and «feeling» the same as the robot. The machine repeats the operator’s movements, and the artificial intelligence platform observes, analyzes feedback, and learns. In total, the program covers 110 tasks related to picking, cleaning, labeling, packaging, and assembly of products.

Phoenix is 170 cm tall and weighs 70 kg. The humanoid can lift up to 25 kg of cargo, its arms have 20 degrees of freedom and provide tactile feedback. Phoenix Carbon’s software platform contains extensive language models, so Phoenix can understand commands in natural human language.

«We designed Phoenix to be the most sensor-rich and physically capable humanoid ever created. We are committed to enabling Carbon AI to perform the widest possible range of work tasks,» said Rose Geordi, co-founder and CEO of Sanctuary AI. — «We envision a future where general-purpose robots are as ubiquitous as cars. They will help people do the work they need to do when there is simply not enough labor to do it.»

Phoenix uses a comprehensive cognitive architecture and software platform specifically designed for humanoid general-purpose robots. The advanced system seamlessly integrates modern AI technologies to efficiently translate natural language and transform it into commands. This allows the humanoid to «think and act like a human».

It should be noted that Phoenix cannot yet walk on its own two legs. For the training period, the Sanctuary AI team installed the humanoid on a wheeled platform. The company intends to license the walking algorithm from a third-party developer or use an open-source project as a basis. For now, Phoenix can move at a speed of up to 4.8 km/h on wheels.

At the annual meeting of Tesla shareholders, the company’s developers demonstrated the advanced skills of Optimus humanoid robots. At present, the humanoid can strike and delicately touch fragile objects without damaging them.