LimX Dynamics is doing some fascinating work in the robotics arena. Four months after impressing us with its talented Oli humanoid robot, the three-year-old tech startup has just unveiled Tron 2, which, as its name cleverly suggests, is the follow-up to Tron 1.
Going by the video (top) released by LimX on Thursday, Tron 2 is an advanced, AI-powered modular humanoid robot featuring remarkable strength and movement.
Grabbing your attention from the very start, the video begins with the odd sight of a pair of robotic legs — and nothing else — walking along. With a few turns of a screwdriver, however, Tron 2 suddenly sports a head and a pair of arms that appear to be the legs repurposed, and is then shown lifting a couple of large bottles of water.
For those unmoved by the robot’s weightlifting skills, a woman then picks up a third bottle of water and sits in an attached swing. After a short pause, Tron 2 lifts the entire load with apparent ease.
We then see Tron 2 showing off its AI smarts, using its grippers to perform various sorting tasks, though it’s not clear from the video just how clever or nimble it really is at these.
LimX’s humanoid robot is also capable of low-latency teleoperation, mimicking the movements of a human operator. Besides aiding AI training, teleoperation also enables the completion of tasks currently too complex for autonomous robots. Rival robot company 1X Technologies is using teleoperation for some of the more challenging tasks taken on by its NEO robot.
The footage also shows Tron 2 playing table tennis and walking up stairs, as well as rolling around on wheels and performing cartwheels. It’s all very impressive.
At the end of its video presentation. LimX suggests that Tron 2, or a robot very much like it, would be ideal for future Mars missions due in part to its high level of agility, modular design, and AI smarts.
LimX appears to be making Tron 2 available for purchase, though the price has yet to be listed on its website. We’ve reached out to the company for more details on Tron 2 and the target customer base and we’ll update this article when we hear back.
