EngineAI Robot is China's Answer to Tesla Optimus Robot & Clone Robotics Torso by NotebookLM

Ever watched Westworld and, you know, thought about those, uh, those robots, the ones that were like, so real, it's kind of crazy to think of it. It's like, we're getting closer to that, right. With all the new robot stuff happening. Yeah. It really is amazing. Like how fast it's all going. Right. And today we're really diving deep into two companies, Engine AI and Clone Robotics. Both are like leading the way in this whole robot revolution thing. Yeah. And they're both doing such different things, right? Totally. So like Engine AI, they're all about movement, like making robots move like really smoothly, like we've never seen before. And then Clone Robotics, they're focused on making a robot that looks and acts like a real person, especially the upper body. Yeah. It's fascinating, right? Yeah. How they're both tackling different parts of this whole humanoid robot thing, and both are just getting incredible results. Let's start with Engine AI. So their robot, it was developed in Shenzhen, China. And it walks like so human-like, it's almost creepy. I know, right? Like when you see the videos of it walking, it's like watching like a person just walking down the street. Right. It's not just the steps, but like the way it shifts its weight, swings its arms. It's crazy realistic. It is. And what gets me is that Engine AI, they just started in October, 2023. That's right. Like about a year ago, and they've already like made such a big splash. Yeah. They have a team of 36 researchers. Wow. A lot of them from like really good places, like UC Berkeley. Oh, wow. And they're using like the latest AI and machine learning to train their robots. So instead of like programming every single movement, they're just letting the robots learn how to walk by themselves. Like kind of like how humans do. Yeah, exactly. So they're using NVIDIA's Isaac Gym, which is like a really fancy virtual environment. It's like a high tech training ground where the robot can practice walking like millions of times and get better and better through like trial and error. That's wild. Like giving the robot a crash course in like human movement, but all in this virtual world. Right. And it's not just about making a robot walk that looks cool, you know? Yeah. This technology has huge potential for all kinds of industries. Like imagine robots that can move around like tough environments, like as easily as we can. Think about warehouses, construction sites, even places with like disasters. The possibilities are pretty much endless. Totally. And Engine AI isn't just doing this one thing either. They've developed a bunch of different robots. The SA-1, the SA-1 Pro, and the S2. Yeah. Each one is like made for a different purpose. Yeah. They're really thinking ahead. That though. They're really committed to bringing this tech to all sorts of places. And their work, you know, it kind of shows how China is getting really big in the whole robot world. Yeah, for sure. They're putting a lot of money into research and companies like Engine AI are like leading the way. It's definitely something to keep an eye on. But OK, so Engine AI is all about walking. Clone Robotics is going in a totally different direction, but it's just as cool. They're creating a robot that really reminds me of the hosts from Westworld. You know? Oh, yeah. It's all about the upper body, making it super realistic, both how it looks and how it works. Their robot, Torso, is really something else. It's not just like a statue, you know, it's designed to move and interact with stuff like in a way that's just so human. Yeah, I've seen pictures. It's kind of freaky how much it looks like a human torso, but it's all the tech underneath that's really blowing my mind. One of the big things that like actuated elbow. Yeah. It lets it move with such precision. It's almost like a human arm. It really is a marvel of engineering. Like they designed it to perfectly copy how our elbows work. You know, think about all the little things we do with our elbows, reaching for a glass, typing, even like gesturing when we talk. Right. Torso can do all that. And it's really accurate. Yeah. Not just about like moving the same way. It's about how smooth and precise it is. Totally. That's what's so captivating and also kind of creepy at the same time. And then there are the hands. 24 degrees of freedom. That's like way more dexterity than most robots we've seen. It's insane. 24 degrees of freedom. So what does that actually mean? Like what can these hands do? Well, imagine a hand that can not only like grab things, but also move them around in a really delicate way. Like threading a needle, typing on a keyboard, even playing music. Wow. These are all things that need really good dexterity and torso's hands are made to do them with like perfect control. So it's not just about having fingers that can close around stuff. It's about a hand that can actually interact with the world like like a human hand. Right. And what's the secret behind all that dexterity? So it's the pneumatic actuators. They're kind of like artificial muscles. They copy how human muscles like tighten and relax. OK. It makes the movements way smoother and more responsive than if you just use like regular motors and gears. It's like the difference between a robot that moves like a machine and one that moves like, well, like a living thing. Exactly. And what makes clone robotics work even cooler is like what you could actually do with it. Like imagine this thing in health care, a robot like Torso could help nurses take care of patients like lifting and moving them, you know, without hurting them. Yeah, that would be huge. Like it could free up the nurses to like do the more important stuff. And Torso can do the like heavy lift. Yeah, exactly. And it's not just about lifting. Right. Imagine like giving medicine super accurately. Yeah. You know, no more human mistakes with dosages and stuff. Totally. And think about like training doctors. Oh, yeah. Instead of practicing on those like fake dummies they have now, med students could use a robot that actually reacts like a real person. Oh, that's a good point. They could practice those really delicate procedures, get feedback and like get more confident in a safe way. Like having a practice buddy that never gets tired. All right. And, you know, we can't forget about prosthetics. Oh, like if they can make a robot torso this real. Imagine the possibilities for like prosthetic arms and legs. That could give people like way more freedom than they have now. It's a really exciting thought. Yeah. And this kind of leads to a bigger question. What if we took the best parts of both? Oh, great. Like what if we combine Engine AI's walking with Clone Robotics' torso? Whoa, hold on. You're talking about a robot that can walk like a person and has like human like arms and hands. Yeah. That's like straight out of sci-fi. It might sound like it, but it's not that crazy. Really? Yeah. The technology is there. It's just a matter of time until someone puts it all together. So you're saying we could have a robot that walks down the street, opens the door, picks up a package and like brings it to your house all like a normal person. Yeah. That's what we're talking about. Wow. And that brings up all sorts of questions about like the future of robots and what role they'll play in our lives. Right. Like on the one hand, there are some obvious benefits. Yeah. Like imagine these robots doing dangerous jobs. Oh, yeah. Or the boring, repentive ones. So then humans could focus on more creative stuff. Exactly. And they could like help older people or people with disabilities in ways we haven't even thought of yet. That's true. But then there's also some things to worry about. Like what? Like what happens to jobs when robots can do things that only humans used to do? Oh, yeah. That's a good point. And how do we make sure these robots are used for good, not for bad stuff? It's kind of exciting and scary at the same time, right? Yeah. It feels like we're right on the edge of something huge, but we don't really know what's coming. Exactly. It's like watching those first scenes of Westworld, you know? Yeah. Where it gets hard to tell who's human and who's not. Oh, for sure. And just like in the show, there's a lot to think about. But one thing's for sure, the robot world is changing super fast and what used to be science fiction is becoming reality. Yeah, it really does feel like we're like right there on the edge of something huge. But like as we keep going deeper into this whole robot thing, we've got to think about like what makes us human, right? Yeah. And the really interesting thing here is that it's not just about like the tech getting better, right? It's making us think about what actually makes us human. Yeah. Like what are the things that make us different? What makes us conscious? These robots are making us look at ourselves and be like, wait, what does it even mean to be human now? Exactly. And to me, that's one of the biggest things about this whole humanoid robot thing. Yeah. It's not just about making better robots. It's about understanding ourselves better. It's like self-discovery, but at the same time, we're making these crazy robots. Totally. But we got to be careful, right? Oh, yeah, absolutely. We need to be like excited about what's possible, but also like aware of the risks. Okay. So we're wrapping up this deep dive into engine AI and clone robotics. What's the big takeaway? Like what should our listeners be thinking about when they hear about this stuff in the news? I think the most important thing is to like stay informed. Okay. Read about it. Talk about it with people. Think about what it means for you, for your job, for everything. Yeah, because this isn't just like some science experiment happening somewhere far away. This stuff could change everything. Exactly. And we all have a say in what that future looks like. Well, this has been a wild ride into the world of humanoid robots. We've seen robots that can walk like us, robots with hands that can do like anything. And we've even talked about combining those things to create something totally new. And as we get closer to a future where these robots are like everywhere, it's more important than ever to talk about this stuff, to think about the ethics and to like decide what kind of future we want. So keep those minds working, everyone. You know, maybe one day you'll be like hanging out with a robot so real you'll forget it's not even human.