Quote of the day by roboticist Rodney Brooks: 'The visual appearance of a robot makes a promise about what it can do and how smart it is' a warning about the misleading form of a humanoid robot

Date:
Fri, 14 Aug 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Description:
Just because engineers are building humanoid robots to look like us, that doesn't mean they're intelligent or even capable

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Humanoid robots are on the
rise, with a slate of companies building several different prototypes.
Whether they're designed to be on the production line or engineered to roam around your house performing various chores, different kinds of machines are on the cusp of mass production. "The visual appearance of a robot makes a promise about what it can do and how smart it is. It needs to deliver or slightly over deliver on that promise or it will not be accepted." Rodney Brooks, July 2024 Setting expectations Australian roboticist Brooks remarked on the appearance of robots in the first of his own three laws of robotics, inspired by Isaac Asimov, in a blog post that he self-published . Quote of
the day This article is part of TechRadar Pro's QOTD project to provide an insight into the minds of the brightest and most recognized figures in the technology industry today and in years gone by. Read the full series here . The co-founder of robotics company iRobot, which created the Roomba robot vacuum, Brooks explained that the anthropomorphization of humanoid robots both by engineers and by consumers could be counterintuitive. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

While the form is necessary to gain pubic acceptance, engineers must deliver on performance and capabilities. Adopting a similar form to that of humans
may imply a level of humanlike intelligence or competence in navigating the real world. Should robotics companies fail on that count, people will see straight through the ruse. Robots of mass production Brooks' laws focus on
the competency and capabilities of robots and the need for creators to ensure that they are trained, that they're capable, and that they don't remove human agency. You may like Humanoid robots wont be the future: purpose-built robots will Crawl, walk, run thats how you get humanoid robotics all grown up
UBTech introduced its first realistic humanoid, which it could make into replicas of loved ones

Plenty of highly polished demos, recorded promotional videos, and on-stage appearances have done well to highlight the fact that these machines are not ready for prime time despite impressive capabilities in highly controlled environments. That's evidenced by a series of ' robot fails ' when they're introduced into real-world settings.

Companies, however, say they're improving the AI technology powering these machines, as well as the dexterity of appendages. They plan on ramping up production toward the end of this year, with the first machines set to be deployed in commercial settings by 2027. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/quote-of-the-day-by-roboticist-rodney-brooks-the -visual-appearance-of-a-robot-makes-a-promise-about-what-it-can-do-and-how-sma rt-it-is-a-warning-about-the-misleading-form-of-a-humanoid-robot


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