The rise of the machines

As robot technology improves, we take a look at four humanoid robots that may become common sights in our day-to-day lives.

Unitree G1

A robot with a rather boring name, the Unitree G1, from a Chinese robotics company, can perform a variety of tasks. A promotional video shows the G1 waving a stick around like a weapon, smashing chestnuts with its hand

and pulling the top off of a soft drink bottle. The robot can also jump, run and curl up so that it can be easily moved around. Unitree describes their creation as a "humanoid agent AI avatar". Priced at around £12,500, the G1 can walk at a top speed of just over four miles per hour and climb stairs.

Ameca

Developed by Engineered Arts, a British tech firm, Ameca has been called "the world’s most advanced" humanoid robot. Unlike many of its competitors, Ameca isn’t designed to lift heavy items or run and jump like a person. Instead, it attempts to copy human emotions, which are displayed on its human-like face. The robot uses a combination of microphones and cameras fitted with facial recognition software in order to interact with users.

With moveable eyes and lips, and grey rubber skin, Ameca has toured a series of museums and even starred in a television series.

Figure AI

Created by Figure, another company backed by OpenAI, the Figure AI robot is designed to replace factory workers on an industrial level. The company hopes that its product will come to dominate factories, eliminating any need

for a human workforce beyond one or two remote operators. The robot itself – made of grey materials with a blank face – still has a long way to go before it replaces us completely. In recent videos, it can be seen walking along very slowly, but Figure has stated that it wants to build robots that "learn and reason like humans".

VERO

Unlike the other examples on our list, VERO seems aimed at helping to save the planet. The purpose of this four-legged robot is to clean beaches, vacuuming up cigarettes and other waste products. The name VERO stands

for "vacuum-cleaner equipped robot" and the machine can detect rubbish through its cameras and sensors. The robot was designed by the Italian Institute of Technology, and similar devices could also be employed to clean

hard-to-reach areas, from mountains to skyscrapers.