The hottest Robots Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics
SINGULARITY WEEKLY β€’ 1847 implied HN points β€’ 01 Jul 23
  1. Humanity is facing threats from digital intelligence and automation.
  2. The concept of transhumanism merges scientism, apocalyptic Christianity, and satanic hubris.
  3. There is a significant choice between humanity and a potential posthuman future.
  4. The decisions made today will impact the fate of our species.
Import AI β€’ 519 implied HN points β€’ 11 Mar 24
  1. Scaling laws are transforming the world of robotics - more data, bigger context windows, and more parameters in models lead to significant improvements quickly.
  2. Advancements in AI forecasting show that language models can match human capabilities in predicting binary outcomes, suggesting a future of accurate forecasting by AI systems.
  3. New datasets like Panda-70M for video captioning and models like Evo for biological predictions are pushing the boundaries of AI and demonstrating the power of generative models in various domains.
Robots & Startups β€’ 39 implied HN points β€’ 10 Jun 24
  1. President Xi Jinping is actively engaged with humanoid robots, showcasing China's strong interest in this technology
  2. China's focus on humanoid robots is driving rapid technological advancements, with robot update cycles as short as three months
  3. The 2024 China Humanoid Robot Developers Conference highlighted the significant progress and investments in humanoid robotics in the country
In My Tribe β€’ 425 implied HN points β€’ 09 Mar 24
  1. Addressing technical debt in outdated software systems is a significant business opportunity, especially using new pattern-matching models to optimize and secure old software.
  2. Leveraging large language models (LLMs) for customer support improvement and developing efficient back-office apps for various sectors presents lucrative business prospects.
  3. Special-purpose robots tailored for specific tasks like security or medical procedures offer practical business opportunities compared to humanoid robots.
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Import AI β€’ 339 implied HN points β€’ 13 Mar 23
  1. Google is making strides with a universal translator by training models on diverse unlabeled data from multiple languages.
  2. The FTC is calling out companies for lying about AI capabilities, emphasizing the importance of truthful representation in the AI industry.
  3. OpenChatKit, an open-source ChatGPT clone, is released with a focus on decentralized training and customization for chatbot creation.
Robots & Startups β€’ 119 implied HN points β€’ 14 Dec 23
  1. Walking humanoid robots are being successfully deployed for commercial work by companies like Agility Robotics, Apptronik, PAL, and 1X.
  2. In 2024, we can expect a wider commercial release of walking humanoid robots from various companies including Agility, 1X, Apptronik, Fourier Intelligence, PAL, and Unitree.
  3. The field of humanoid robots is advancing quickly, with more applications and companies pushing towards practical implementations.
In My Tribe β€’ 182 implied HN points β€’ 15 Feb 24
  1. Bill Gates supports building general-purpose humanoid robots capable of multiple tasks, modeling them after people.
  2. Mark McNeilly predicts that AI will seduce humans rather than destroy us, leading to a decline in human interaction.
  3. There is potential to use large language models for tasks like contract reviews in legal and financial sectors, but resistance to fully relying on AI in certain professions may persist.
Robots & Startups β€’ 59 implied HN points β€’ 04 Jul 23
  1. The author has a long-standing interest in robots and technology, which began with building model rockets and circuits from a young age.
  2. Crowdfunding has played a significant role in supporting the author's robot addiction, allowing them to back various interesting robot campaigns over the years.
  3. Reflecting on impulsive robot purchases and considering cognitive behavioral therapies to manage the fascination for robots, showcasing the struggle of maintaining control over a growing collection.
Robots & Startups β€’ 59 implied HN points β€’ 09 Sep 23
  1. Robots are being developed for various applications like earthquake response, sustainability, choreography, agriculture, investment, and IPOs.
  2. The robotics industry is exploring autonomous functions in trucking, driving, flying, bartending, education, fashion, and fast food.
  3. Key articles on interesting topics include one about Doosan and Bear Robotics, the NIST economic analysis of US manufacturing, and Madeline Gannon's robotic choreography installation in Miami.
Robots & Startups β€’ 59 implied HN points β€’ 02 Jul 23
  1. AI-generated bad data is becoming more prevalent and is impacting the learning process of artificial intelligence.
  2. Humans are increasingly using AI to create content, leading to a mix of human and AI-generated text.
  3. There is a concern that the over-reliance on AI for labeling data may have negative implications.
Robots & Startups β€’ 39 implied HN points β€’ 24 Sep 23
  1. FIRA-USA highlighted that agrobots are ready and farmers are interested, with advancements in electric and multipurpose agrobots.
  2. Farmers in California are concerned about regulations requiring a safety driver for every autonomous robot in the field, unlike in other regions.
  3. The agrobotics field is evolving with new data standards and technologies, including drones, teleoperation, affordable robot arms, and more.
Robots & Startups β€’ 19 implied HN points β€’ 01 Feb 24
  1. There are currently 41 companies working on developing humanoid robots for commercial and industrial purposes. These robots are more affordable than the DARPA robots from previous challenges.
  2. The goal in humanoid robotics is to achieve sophistication while keeping the price under $50,000. This is a benchmark as cars, which are larger and perform autonomously, are priced similarly.
  3. Advancements in humanoid robots have been showcased in events like the Avatar XPrize. The aim is to combine sophistication and affordability in these machines.
The Digital Anthropologist β€’ 19 implied HN points β€’ 06 Dec 23
  1. Robots are becoming more essential due to global population declines and increasing need for automation in various sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, and military.
  2. Society is changing how robots are perceived, shifting from fear and vilification to acceptance and assistance, through increased visibility in media and toy market.
  3. The way robots are being socialized, presented positively as helpers rather than threats, will play a significant role in their sociocultural acceptance and integration into daily life.
Splitting Infinity β€’ 19 implied HN points β€’ 28 Nov 23
  1. Automation of the supply chain is crucial for lowering shipping costs and reaching more people at a lower cost.
  2. Innovative mailboxes can revolutionize how goods are delivered, making it bidirectional and enabling easier access to global markets for home producers.
  3. Automated mailboxes have the potential to streamline product returns, recycling, and extend the sharing economy to every household item.
Robots & Startups β€’ 19 implied HN points β€’ 25 Nov 23
  1. The post expresses gratitude for friends and researchers passionate about robots for the betterment of society.
  2. There is a discussion about potential competition between companies to produce the 'world's first mass produced' humanoid robot.
  3. The post highlights the transition of Dani Carillo Zapata from Robohub to managing an EU project in wellness, along with updates on humanoids, robotics news, and events.
The Grasp β€’ 3 HN points β€’ 17 Jun 24
  1. Stanford's new research simplifies training humanoid robots using human body and hand poses, revolutionizing data collection for robot learning.
  2. The open-source Vision-Language-Action model, OpenVLA, showcases improved robotic control and performance, highlighting the benefits of collaborative industry contributions.
  3. Harvard and Deepmind's study on virtual rodent brain activity provides insights into brain-controlled motion, with potential implications for brain-machine interfaces and robotics.
UX Psychology β€’ 39 implied HN points β€’ 11 Nov 22
  1. Robots are being increasingly utilized, especially in response to crises like the pandemic, where they help in multiple ways from monitoring patients to making deliveries.
  2. When evaluating social robots for usability, methodologies include using textual descriptions, video demonstrations, live interactions, and the Wizard of Oz method.
  3. Evaluation dimensions in social robot studies cover utilitarian aspects like ease of use, emotional appeal, and trust, with methods like questionnaires, interviews, biometrics, and video analysis.
TP’s Substack β€’ 13 implied HN points β€’ 15 Mar 24
  1. China has seen a significant increase in the use of industrial robots, with over half of the world's installations by 2022.
  2. BYD, a prominent Chinese company, has highly automated factories with impressive features like 97% automation and self-developed tire grabbing machines.
  3. Embracing Industry 4.0 and automation, BYD factories showcase advanced technologies like robots for assembly, painting, and welding, achieving high levels of efficiency and productivity.
Robots & Startups β€’ 1 HN point β€’ 22 Jun 24
  1. Naming a robot company or product requires careful consideration for SEO and international appeal.
  2. The significance of choosing culturally appropriate and well-translated product names is crucial, as demonstrated by several major brands' mishaps.
  3. Investors have been interested in beauty, skincare, and haircare startups, which have shown resilience through effective marketing strategies like TikTok and celebrity endorsements.
HackerPulse Dispatch β€’ 8 implied HN points β€’ 15 Mar 24
  1. Google DeepMind introduced SIMA, an AI agent trained in multiple video games capable of following natural-language instructions, showcasing the potential for adaptable AI systems.
  2. Covariant unveiled RFM-1, an AI platform enabling robots to comprehend language and make decisions, promising advancements in robotic cognition for various industries.
  3. Google's upcoming Pixel 9 series will feature the Tensor G4 chipset, enhancing user experience with improved heat and power management, aligning with Google's vertical integration goals.
New World Same Humans β€’ 17 implied HN points β€’ 07 Apr 23
  1. Meta introduced a new AI model for image segmentation, paving the way for advances in machine vision applications.
  2. Japan is facing a significant labor shortage, with a forecast of 11 million fewer workers by 2040 due to an aging population.
  3. Bloomberg unveiled a large language model specialized for finance, showcasing the power of domain-specific AI models for unlocking insights from vast amounts of data.
ppdispatch β€’ 8 implied HN points β€’ 01 Mar 24
  1. Google faced a controversy with its image-generating AI model, Gemini, highlighting the importance of responsible AI development and oversight.
  2. Mistral AI introduced Mistral Large, a powerful text generation model with multilingual capabilities, partnering with Microsoft for integration.
  3. Apple has canceled its long-term electric car project, redirecting focus to advancing AI capabilities, while Meta is set to launch Llama 3, a refined language model that handles controversial queries.
Robot Bible β€’ 1 HN point β€’ 05 May 24
  1. Human language has evolved in a full circle, starting from symbols to pictures and now back to pictures used in programming, indicating the importance of symbols in communication.
  2. The debate between Chomsky and Everett on language acquisition challenges the idea of a universal grammar and suggests that language is deeply influenced by culture.
  3. Developing true emergent intelligence in programs requires more than just increased computational power; it involves exploring mechanisms to control autonomous systems predictably.
Davidovits! β€’ 1 HN point β€’ 05 Apr 24
  1. An unintended vulnerability in a core library led to widespread sexbot malfunctions.
  2. Prolonged eye contact was found to reduce startup time for older users and increase customer satisfaction.
  3. The incident post-mortem revealed a critical backdoor compromise that affected millions of sex robot users.
Golden Pineapple β€’ 4 HN points β€’ 17 Jul 23
  1. Y Combinator-backed startups in 2023 are using AI, data, and robots to improve processes.
  2. Top sectors for high-growth US startups include recruiting, supply chain management, and productivity tools.
  3. Fastest-growing companies in categories like aerospace, biotechnology, and computer vision are leveraging advanced technologies like AI and big data.