7 Robotic Dolphin

A New Zealand company has developed a $26 million animatronic dolphin capable of swimming in a pool while looking like a real dolphin. Its aim is to help people witness sea life without animals being held in captivity. 

Edge Innovations, a New Zealander company, has developed robotic dolphins to be used in public aquariums. These animatronic dolphins that look just like real dolphins are built to mimic their living counterparts with the aim to free the real dolphins from captivity. With a weight under 600 pounds and priced at $26 million, the robotic dolphin can swim gracefully and mimic real dolphins efficiently. Its development will make it easier for aquarium visitors to enjoy sea views in a humane way.

The dolphin robot is controlled via a remote controller. With just a click, it interacts with humans just like a real creature. A China-based home decor company named Red Star Macalline Group will adopt these robotic dolphins for their new aquarium projects. (source)

8 MOLEY – A Robot Kitchen

The robotic kitchen named “Moley” consisting of robotic arms along with a full set of kitchen equipment is a techie-take over conventional kitchens and at-home cooking. The world’s first fully robotic kitchen and one of the most amazing robots of today, this  $335,000 robotic personal chef frees householders from routine cooking. It adapts to the dietary and lifestyle needs of a person and cooks complete meals for them. 

The Moley is a fully automated kitchen unit that’s designed with robotic arms and hands and consists of a recipe recording system and a GUI screen that gives access to its recipe library. The state-of-art robot consists of a full range of kitchen appliances, tools, and cabinets that can be used by humans and the machine alike. Its robotic hands come equipped with sensors. The gripping system and clamping technology used in this machine allow the robotic hands to mimic the movements of a biological hand. 

The robotic apparatus is built to free up the owner’s time from cooking. It not just cooks complete meals but also plans its menu according to their diet and lifestyle. In this way, one can enjoy the choicest cuisine anytime, discover cooking recipes from top-notch chefs, and enjoy calorie-balanced meals. 

The Moley Robotic Kitchen also has the ability to suggest dishes based on the ingredients in the pantry and even clean the shelf, making it the world’s one of the most amazing robots of all time. (source)

9 Eelume, a Snakebot

Eelume is a six-meter-long, snake-like robot developed by Eelume Subsea Intervention that can fix pipelines on the ocean floor. The self-propelling robot that can travel up to 20 kilometers can do a wide variety of inspections and intervention tasks. Its snake-like design allows it to work in small spaces and remain in place during strong currents. 

Eelume Subsea Intervention based in Norway has built Eelume, a snakebot to carry out tasks deep under the sea easily, safely, and cost-effectively. Fitted with a camera and sensors, this six-meter-long robot can be kept at docking stations at depths up to 500 meters for six months. The self-propelling snake-like equipment can travel up to 20 kilometers before returning to its station for recharging purposes.

While residing in a  docking station, it can be mobilized anytime to execute inspection and intervention tasks. Some of the tasks it can perform include removing marine growth and inspecting deep seas. By docking under the sea, Snakebot can be deployed hassle-free regardless of the conditions on the ocean’s surface. (1, 2)

10 Food Delivery Robots

Starship Technologies’ delivery robots are the smallest pedestrians that provide meals right outside students’ doors on and near the University of Pittsburgh campus in Pennsylvania. Standing at just two feet tall and equipped with six wheels, these self-driving robots are beloved members of the Pitt community. 

The Estonian company, Starship Technologies headquartered in San Francisco, has built food-delivery robots for the University of Pittsburgh to deliver food at the doorsteps of campus students. These two-foot-tall, six-wheeled robots walk just like pedestrians and can carry food within a four-mile radius of the university campus.

These amazing robots are equipped with a camera and GPS and are 98% autonomous. They are known to benefit the campus in various ways, such as reducing the need for heavy vehicles and reducing online food deliveries. 

The self-driving robots work through an app. After downloading a specific app, students can order food from food spots located on the campus. The downsides of these robots are that they can’t walk uphill and can even get in the way of disabled people. (source)

11 The Hexa Robot

Hexa, a robo-plant hybrid developed by Vincross, is a six-legged robot that chases the sun for the succulent plant it carries on its head. It retreats to shade when the plant has got enough sun and performs grumbles when it needs watering. 

HEXA is a six-legged robot that is a product of Chinese roboticist and CEO of homebrew robot company, Vincross, Sun Tianqi. The robot is designed with a living pot on its head. Inspired by nature and having the ability to thrive in the real world, this smart and compact robot takes care of its plant.

Using a suite of sensors, it moves in the direction of light and ensures the plant gets sun. It will move in the shade when the plant needs to cool down. This friendly legged robotic pot behaves differently as per the plant’s needs. It will dance happily when the plant is well-watered but will act in a grumbling manner if it’s thirsty. (source)

12 Tribots, aka Robot Ants

A team of scientists has developed tiny, 10-gram ant robots that can complete complex tasks together and communicate with each other. They have multiple locomotion modes that allow them to explore uneven surfaces. Collectively, these amazing robots can move objects much heavier and heavier than themselves.

Robotics researchers at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne have designed ant robots. Despite being so tiny and weighing just 10 grams, these reconfigurable robots jump, crawl, and do great tasks collectively. Each ant robot is configured with multiple locomotion modes that help them detect and overcome obstacles. 

These three-legged, T-shaped robots called “Tribots” are equipped with proximity and infrared sensors for communication as well as detection purposes. These amazing robots can be assembled in minutes, making them ideal for mass production. Depending on the application, these ant robots can be equipped with more sensors.  

Although Tribots normally crawl, they can escape large predators effectively. They have five distinct locomotion gaits including horizontal and vertical jumping, crawling on flat surfaces, walking on rough surfaces, and somersaulting. Each ant robot has different roles according to its category. The “explorers” detect obstacles and inform the rest members of the robotic ant community. The “workers” then use their strength to move objects after receiving commands from the “leader.” (source)