Humanoid Robots Are Starting to Work Human Warehouse Jobs

We may now be nearing the point where humanoid robots are no longer just clumsy curiosities, but genuine candidates — if not outright replacements — for human jobs. As the Wall Street Journal reports, two bipedal helpers, built by Agility Robotics, are currently moving bins around in a busy warehouse in Georgia. Dropped right into an environment designed for humans, the robots bend over to pick up the containers, then amble over to a nearby conveyor belt to drop them off. Rinse and repeat. Of course, there's still considerable work to be done; only two of these "Digit" robots are being used at the warehouse, operated by GXO Logistics, and are trusted only with simple tasks. But the industry argues that the robots are spearheading an imminent paradigm shift in automation: because of their human shape and function, such machines have the potential to be far more versatile than the purpose-built bots that have already automated some human jobs, able to slot into existing workplaces. "H ... Read full article.