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Raucous Robots Techno Talk I’ve been seeing robots on TV and in movies since I was a kid, but I doubted I would get to see humanoid models in factories, homes and care facilities in my lifetime. Then, when I least expected it… “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe”, as Roy Batty (played by Rutger Hauer) famously said in his “Tears in Rain” soliloquy towards the end of the 1982 movie Blade Runner (https://youtu.be/NoAzpa1x7jU). This movie, now considered a masterpiece, featured groundbreaking visuals, complex themes and a thought-provoking exploration of humanity and identity. I know how Roy felt. I also have seen things you people (well, certainly any younger readers) wouldn’t believe. For example, I hail from the days before anyone we knew owned a washing machine or a clothes dryer. When I was around nine years old, I spent most of the weekdays during the summer holidays hanging out at my aunt’s house with my cousin Gillian, who was one year younger than me. Monday was “washday”; that is, the day that all the ladies did their laundry. My aunt had a massive mechanical device called a ‘mangle’ or ‘wringer’, featuring two big timber rollers and a large handle. Turning the handle made the rollers rotate, pulling the clothes through and squeezing any water out. It was Gillian’s and my job to crank the handle on the mangle. We took turns. We mangled and mangled until our arms ached, and then we mangled some more. Later, in the afternoons, we used to watch the Jetsons on TV. I used to wish we had a robot maid like Rosie who could do the mangling for us. Of course, I knew Rosie was only a cartoon character. She wasn’t real like the robot (simply called “Robot”) in Lost in Space, but he wouldn’t have been of much use either. The best he could do was wave his arms around and say, “Danger, Will Robinson!” So, what’s our fascination with humanoid robots? It actually makes a lot of sense. First, human environments—like homes, offices, and factories—are (unsurprisingly) designed for humans. This means that robots with humanoid shapes can better navigate things like stairs and doorways, and can use tools, operate machines, and manipulate objects meant for human hands. There’s also the fact that humanoid robots can interact with humans more naturally, using familiar gestures, expressions, and speech. This facilitates their use in diverse roles such as being companions, caregivers, receptionists, and tutors, where human-like interaction enhances the experience. Developed nations are increasingly grappling with the multifaceted challenges of ageing populations, necessitating comprehensive strategies to address economic, healthcare, and social impacts. A major application for humanoid robots would be aged care, either in the home or in dedicated facilities. They could also help disabled people by performing tasks, providing companionship and aiding in rehabilitation. My own dear old mum will be 95 this year. She’s finding it increasingly difficult to move around her apartment. My brother lives nearby, and he visits her several times a day, but it would be fantastic if she had a humanoid robot to help by doing things like making cups of tea and preparing simple meals. Why humanoid? Not in my lifetime! Robots come in all shapes and sizes and can do all sorts of things. For example, I recently saw an industrial robot replicating the actions of a Japanese master swordsman (https://youtu.be/ O3XyDLbaUmU). I also saw a video on LinkedIn of two-armed robot on a wheeled base happily unpacking a dryer and folding the clothes (https:// pemag.au/link/ac52). 54 Way back in the mists of time we used to call the 1980s, when I became an engineer, I began to appreciate the problems involved in building a self-powered (that is, not tethered to the wall by a power cable) humansized humanoid robot. Max the Magnificent There are multiple aspects to this, including the robot’s physical body, the advanced sensors and control systems required for it to perceive and interact with the world, and the ‘brain’ that tells it what to do. I read a lot of science fiction, and I certainly believed that humanoid robots would be possible one day, but I also assumed that day would be a long time in the future—quite possibly long after I’d shuffled off this mortal coil and headed out to the next plane of my existence. How things have changed! Several robot companies seem to have popped up over the past couple of years. A good example of the sort of thing I’m talking about is provided by the folks at 1X. They have a robot called EVE Industrial (https://1x.tech/eve). Although EVE has a head and two arms with hands that can pick objects up and manipulate them, it’s not humanoid in the full sense because it’s mounted on a single leg that’s attached to a mobile platform. Still, EVE can crouch down, reach up, and is well suited to working in factories and industrial facilities. However, the robot that took my breath away is the recently announced NEO Gamma (https://1x.tech/neo). An old-fashioned clothes mangle for drying wet clothes. Source: www.pinterest.com/pin/457467274621825135/ Practical Electronics | June | 2025 Techno Talk Max the Magnificent This is a fully bipedal humanoid robot intended for use as a household assistant. “Oh, my goodness gracious me”, is all I can say. The Neo Gamma – 1X bipedal humanoid robot. Source: https://youtu.be/uVcBa6NXAbk The Life of (a boy called) Clive In my April column, I mentioned the fact that one of my hobby projects is writing a book called The Life of (a boy called) Clive that describes my life growing up as a kid in Sheffield in the 1960s. Well, I’ve finished! This has taken over two years to complete, which is a lot longer than I expected. The problem is that I had so many adventures, like falling into a water barrel, falling out of a sixthfloor window, and falling off a cliff (I was a little scamp). My next problem is to create accompanying images. I’m thinking of simple pencil sketches like those in Winnie the Pooh, perhaps with a splash of watercolour, like those in Into the Uncut Grass. The problem is that I can’t draw. Happily, the folks at Kinara (kinara. ai) just sent me one of their Ara-2 USB modules that’s capable of supporting generative AI workloads such GET LATES THE T COP Y OF TEACH OUR -IN SE RIES AVAIL AB NOW! LE as the stable diffusion text-to-image generator. It literally arrived as I was writing this column and I cannot wait to try it out. I will, of course, report back later on how it goes. PE ON SALE in WHSmith and other independent newsagents PRICE £8.99 EE FR -ROM CD ELECTRONICS TEACH-IN 9 GET TESTING! Electronic test equipment and measuring techniques, plus eight projects to build FREE CD-ROM TWO TEACH -INs FOR THE PRICE OF ONE • Multimeters and a multimeter checker • Oscilloscopes plus a scope calibrator • AC Millivoltmeters with a range extender • Digital measurements plus a logic probe • Frequency measurements and a signal generator • Component measurements plus a semiconductor junction tester (includes P&P to UK if ordered direct from us) Teach-In 9 – Get Testing! £8.99 FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF PIC n’ Mix Including Practical Digital Signal Processing PLUS... YOUR GUIDE TO THE BBC MICROBIT A LOW-COST ARM-BASED SINGLE-BOARD COMPUTER Teach-In 9 This series of articles provides a broad-based introduction to choosing and using a wide range of test gear, how to get the best out of each item and the pitfalls to avoid. It provides hints and tips on using, and – just as importantly – interpreting the results that you get. The series deals with familiar test gear as well as equipment designed for more specialised applications. The articles have been designed to have the broadest possible appeal and are applicable to all branches of electronics. The series crosses the boundaries of analogue and digital electronics with applications that span the full range of electronics – from a single-stage transistor amplifier to the most sophisticated microcontroller system. There really is something for everyone! Each part includes a simple but useful practical test gear project that will build into a handy gadget that will either extend the features, ranges and usability of an existing item of test equipment or that will serve as a stand-alone instrument. We’ve kept the cost of these projects as low as possible, and most of them can be built for less than £10. Get Testing Three Microchip PICkit 4 Debugger Guides Files for: PIC n’ Mix PLUS Teach-In 2 -Using PIC Microcontrollers. In PDF format © 2018 Wimborne Publishing Ltd. www.epemag.com Teach In 9 Cover.indd 1 01/08/2018 19:56 FREE COVER-MOUNTED CD-ROM On the free cover-mounted CD-ROM you will find the software for the PIC n’ Mix series of articles. Plus the full TeachIn 2 book – Using PIC Microcontrollers – A practical introduction – in PDF format. ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY: www.electronpublishing.com Practical Electronics | June | 2025 55