Sanctuary AI is often not mentioned in the same light as humanoid robotics companies like Boston Dynamics, Agility, Figure and 1X, but the Canadian company has been operating in the field for some time. In fact, a new robot introduced Thursday is actually the seventh generation of its Phoenix line.
While a recent iteration introduced legs to the line, Sanctuary is mostly concerned with what happens from the waist down. Tellingly, the new videos of the latest robot focus on the system’s torso. The Canadian company highlights the system’s human movements when sorting products, as well as the speed with which it can learn these tasks.
Much of the humanoid coverage so far has (understandably) revolved around mechatronics – particularly how these robots look as they navigate the world. The recent video from Boston Dynamics is a perfect example of how much can be communicated in just a few seconds.
Ultimately, however, robotic intelligence will be just as important, if not more so, for these systems in the future. Although “general intelligence” is one of those abstract and important terms, the consensus among many roboticists is that we are still five to ten years away from robots being able to learn new tasks in the same way as their human colleagues. .
This does not mean that current systems cannot learn tasks quickly. Sanctuary, for example, suggests that the new Phoenix is capable of automating new tasks in less than 24 hours.
“With the seventh generation, we have a system that we believe is most human-like,” says co-founder and CEO Geordie Rose. “We see this not only as the cornerstone of general-purpose AI robotics, but also as a crucial step on the path to artificial general intelligence, and we are excited to lead the charge in this area.”
Image credits: Sanctuary AI
Now, time and consistency almost certainly vary from task to task. The ones shown in the demo are relatively simple – separate objects of different colors – in what appears to be a structured and controlled environment. But Sanctuary absolutely deserves credit for having already deployed previous systems. The company also recently announced a deal that will bring its systems to Magna’s automotive manufacturing facilities.
Essentially, the seventh-generation robot – introduced 12 months after its predecessor – brings additional improvements to the lineup, including increased runtime, improved range of motion, lighter weight and less expensive bill of materials.
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