These robots don't just follow commands - they think. And soon they'll be able to help you with your move
Forget about robots that have been doing the same monotonous movement in a factory for years. California-based startup Generalist AI rolled out a video that makes you want to say, "Okay, future, we've spotted you." Their robots, controlled by a single AI model, deftly assemble boxes, sort small parts, and even nonchalantly continue working after being poked with a hockey stick.
What's going on?
The video shows us not just robots, but a demonstration of the capabilities of their "brain" - a universal model of artificial intelligence. The idea is not to programme the machine for each specific task, but to teach the AI to act in different situations, almost like a human. This is a kind of Swiss knife in the world of robotics.
And here's what this "Swiss knife" can do:
1. Show ingenuity. The coolest moment of the video: the two-armed robot has to transfer a handful of screws from a paper plate into a jar. Instead of picking them up one at a time, one "hand" gently bends the plate into a funnel-like shape, while the other helps pour the screws precisely into the target. It's no longer just "pick-up-and-place", it's using an improvised object as a tool!
2. Assembly and packing. Robots take a flat piece of cardboard and deftly assemble a box from it. Then they carefully place the bulky and flexible bicycle lock inside and close the lid, tucking the flaps where needed. Goodbye, hours of agony with assembling boxes for moving?
3- Being Unfazed. While the box is being assembled, a man with a hockey stick appears in the frame and knocks down a billet. The robot freezes for a second, assesses the situation and ... calmly continues from where it was interrupted. This is called "robustness" - the system's ability to cope with unexpected disturbances. No "system errors" or blue screens of death.
4. Performing delicate work. In addition to this, the robots showed other skills:
Sorting LEGO cubes into coloured containers.
Putting the toolbox in order by arranging fasteners into compartments.
Carefully unzipping a child's backpack - with one hand holding the backpack and the other pulling the slider.
Why it matters.
Generalist AI shows that robots can be not just highly specialised automatons, but flexible assistants capable of learning and adapting to new tasks. This opens the way to their use not only on assembly lines, but also in warehouses, in logistics, in the assembly of complex orders and, who knows, maybe even in our homes.
So far, Generalist AI is only showing a "preview of the possibilities", but it's impressive. It looks like the day when a robot will not only be able to assemble your IKEA furniture, but also tidy up your toolbox afterwards, is just around the corner.
