Published 13 January 2025
e497 with Michael, Michael and Andy on #CES2025, #robots, #socks, #AI, #TalkingMoose, #ZaphodBeeblebrox, #LanguageLocalization, #LEGO and a whole lot more!
Michael, Michael and Andy are back in full co-host force once again, covering the robotics-filled CES innovations hitting the feeds this week.
The team starts things off this episode discussing a TechCrunch article covering Nvidia’s R2X avatar. The user experience for this avatar is through the computer desktop with a humanlike embodiment to provide assistance to users, seeing what they see on the desktop, or ingesting documents. This reminds Michael R of the Reallusion Crazytalk capability (discussed way back in e35 in 2013), Andy of Microsoft’s Clippy, and Michael M of the Talking Moose. The R2X puts “a face on agentic AI” according to Nvidia’s press release, and it is easy to imagine how Clippy, the Talking Moose or other embodiments might be a similar face.
Moving from virtual to physical, it is clear that CES2025 is chock full of robots, for all manner of purposes.
The uncanny valley resurfaces with the Realbotix humanoid robot Melody. The facial and body movements of the robot resemble human natural movement, but are still far enough away to create the emotional discrepancy described by the uncanny valley. In addition, Andy makes the point that the reported open source nature of the robot and its code does not appear to be substantiated.
Moving along from the humanoid form factor to other robots, there are many robot examples whose purpose is to vacuum, mop, deliver drinks or even pick up socks. Check out the show notes below for some of the CES robots, from those that attach to purses, to those that cool your tea.
Michael R shares a project he’s been working on dealing with language localization – check out the link below for more details.
Wrapping things up for the episode, the co-hosts turn to a couple LEGO innovations: the latest in the Nintendo-LEGO partnership, and an intriguing Hackaday omni-directional treadmill.
What tasks would you want a robot to do for you? Have your bots 🤖 drop our bots 🤖 a line at @gamesatwork_biz (our home for now) and let us know!
These show notes were lovingly hand crafted by a real human, and not by a bot. All rights reserved. That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.
Selected Links
AI
TechCrunch article: Nvidia’s AI avatar sat on my computer screen and weirded me out
Nvidia press release 6 Jan 2025: NVIDIA Launches AI Foundation Models for RTX AI PCs
Reallusion’s Crazytalk
Games at Work e35: Pirates of Pizzazz
Wikipedia article: Office Assistant (Microsoft Clippy)
Wikipedia article: Talking Moose
Robots, Robots, Everywhere
Interesting Engineering article: Melody: New humanoid robot companion that packs into a suitcase unveiled
Wikipedia entry: Uncanny Valley
The Hitchhiker’s Wiki article: Zaphod Beeblebrox
9 to 5 Mac article: These are the silliest robot cleaners at CES – including one that carries drinks
TechRadar article: This furry clip-on robot is the strangest thing I’ve seen at this or any CES
TechRadar article: Roborock’s new robovac has a mechanical arm that can pick up your socks and maybe also play with your cat
The Verge article: SwitchBot is bringing a Rosie the Robot wannabe to CES
CES article: Stop Scalding Your Tongue: This $25 Cat Robot ‘Blows’ on Your Drink to Cool It
Yukai Engineering: Yukai Engineering to Debut ‘Nékojita FuFu,’Attachable Mini-Robot That Cools Hot Drinks/Food, at CES Unveiled
Leveraging Language Localization
Michael Rowe’s Random Thoughts blog post: Coming Soon – Quick Localizer
LEGO
Brickfanatics article: LEGO Nintendo Game Boy officially announced for 2025
Hackaday article: Gaze Upon This Omni-directional Treadmill’s Clever LEGO Construction
Games at Work e412: 3D or not 3D – Virtuix Omni treadmill
Games at Work e451: Fahrenheit – Disney Holotile treadmill
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:46 — 56.6MB) | Embed
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