While technological breakthroughs like solar panels and satellite phones have revolutionised the Big Lap, their impact can probably be dismissed as miniscule compared to that of the likely next big thing … a personal robot!
The possibilities are endless.
These smart human-like machines will be soon able to man the barbecue, set up the annexe, hitch and unhitch the van … and they’ll do it all with a metallic smile.
And nomads who think this might only happen in the distant future should think again.
AI and robotics company, 1X Technologies, has just unveiled NEO Gamma, the next generation of home humanoids with a design said to be ‘deeply considerate of life at home’.
‘After you serve the wine, make sure you take out the rubbish and empty the cassette!’ PIC: 1X Technologies
The new robot, which boasts a number of AI advancements to enhance both autonomy and safe teleoperation, is designed to be approachable and to complement living spaces rather than disrupt them.
NEO walks with a natural human gait and arm swings, squats down to pick things up, and sits in chairs. It also has a new in-house language model that enables natural conversation and body language.
1X Technologies says NEO Gamma’s design opens the door to start internal home testing – a first step in creating fully autonomous humanoids.
“There is a not-so-distant future where we all have our own robot helper at home, like Rosey the Robot or Baymax,” said the company’s CEO, Bernt Børnich. “But for humanoid robots to truly integrate into everyday life, they must be developed alongside humans, not in isolation.”
He says the home provides real-world context and the diversity of data needed for humanoids to grow in intelligence and autonomy.
“It also teaches them the nuances of human life – how to open the door for the elderly, move carefully around pets, or adapt to the unpredictability of the surrounding world,” Mr Børnich said. “Robots confined to industrial space or lab development miss out on this critical understanding … with NEO Gamma, every engineering and design decision was made with one goal in mind: getting NEO into customers’ homes as quickly as possible … we’re close.”
For tech-loving grey nomads then, it could be time to start looking for a bigger rig to make sure their old mate, NEO, has a place to lay his head at night.
And also to start thinking about how having an extra travel companion in the van could enhance life on the road.
Aside from carrying out the less glamorous tasks, like emptying the toilet cassette, perhaps the machines could soon be pulling up a campchair at Happy Hour gatherings. Certainly, they have the potential to be extra ‘company’, perhaps especially for solo travellers.
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