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Can\u2019t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech<\/p>\n
Experts have long argued that our current obsession with humanoid robots may be at least a little bit misguided.<\/p>\n
After all, the awkward form factor of a torso teetering on two spindly legs isn\u2019t exactly the pinnacle<\/a> of motor proficiency, let alone suitable for every job<\/a>.<\/p>\n But what if we were to double the height of the humanoid robot and gave it terrifying hydraulic actuators that give it far beyond superhuman strength?<\/p>\n That\u2019s precisely what Beijing-based company NeodraDynamics Robotics has done. At this year\u2019s China International Industry Fair, the company showed off an imposing, 13-foot and 1.2-ton robot dubbed Neo1 \u2014 and it looks like it was yanked straight out of a pulpy sci-fi movie. Photos show the behemoth towering above the heads of convention goers.<\/p>\n Instead of relying on electric motors, the company opted for a \u201chydraulic-electric hybrid drive\u201d that, according to a boisterous press release<\/a>, \u201cthoroughly eliminates robots\u2019 power and environmental adaptation anxieties.\u201d<\/p>\n In other words, it\u2019s akin to a highly sophisticated excavator in the shape of a 13-foot giant. But unlike an excavator, the robot has \u201c41 full-body active degrees of freedom\u201d and can carry over 1,100 pounds in its beefy arms. It also has a claimed \u201crepeated positioning accuracy\u201d and fingertip precision of a single micrometer.<\/p>\n NeodraDynamics Robotics is envisioning its Neo1 mecha as the ultimate \u201csky, ground and sea\u201d responder, assisting during \u201caerial inspection, underground mining, and deep-sea engineering.\u201d<\/p>\n It can withstand \u201cultra-high underwater pressure to execute subsea equipment maintenance,\u201d as well as shock and pollution, making it a candidate for \u201cefficient demolition, clearance and hazard zone operations.\u201d<\/p>\n But while we continue to gaze upon the mecha in awe, we\u2019ll wait for an actual showcase before we render full judgment. After all, the Neo1 would be far from the first Chinese piece of vaporware that never turned into a reality.<\/p>\n