Will humanoid robots care for the abandoned elderly? Are we experiencing a robotic revolution right now? And isn't humanizing robots and artificial intelligence like "playing God"? We talked about this in the Laboratory of Bioinspired Robotics with its head Stanislav Věchet from the Institute of Solid Mechanics, Mechatronics and Biomechanics.

We are sitting in the relatively newly established Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Robotics, and there are – logically – a lot of big and tiny robots all around. Can you introduce them?

The little one here is called P.A.W.O., as I decided to name robots after star constellations. The peacock used to be perceived as a mythical animal. P.A.W.O. can walk, fidget, respond to touch, and is a fun companion for social interaction. For example, my children like to visit P.A.W.O here.

Next to him is the humanoid called Centaur. It is supposed to be about 1.3 meters tall and be able to carry a crate. Originally, I wanted him to serve drinks and welcome guests at Researchers' Night, but we'll see if I can make it. (laughs)

The laboratory and your department are relatively fresh at the institute, aren't they?

Yes, about a year ago, a new, fifth department called the Department of Autonomous Systems with this laboratory was established at our institute. So far, the department is kind of "intimate", but we are gradually starting it up. I teach the subject of Mobile Robots, which was attended by sixty students this year. And in the lab, I try to work on demonstrations of what today's robots can do. We are also planning to purchase a four-legged "robotic dog" from Unitree. I would like the laboratory to be a showroom of mobile robotics.

Let's go back to the P.A.W.O., which is strikingly reminiscent of robots from animated movies. Is there inspiration?

That's right, it's my equivalent of Disney's BDX robot. It's the same size, it's heavy, I just don't have the budget of Disney, so my robot has fewer degrees of freedom. It is an example of so-called off-the-shelf robotics, which means that it is made of components that you normally buy in a hobby market, the servos are used in aeromodelling and the rest are made by 3D printing. My vision is that it will be an open-source project, so when the robot is finished, other schools and students will be able to make it too and try different things on it. Because other robots that we commonly see on the Internet are either terribly expensive or can't even be bought.

Your next robot – so far under construction – is supposed to be a humanoid. This type of robot seems, at least on the Internet, to be abundant lately. Where does the fascination come from?

I'm fascinated by it because I want to know how it works. I realize how terribly difficult it is to do motor skills, for example: what movements we do when we hold a mobile phone in our hands, when we write... Or maybe walking – the BDX robot walks so beautifully that I just can't get enough of it and I just want to do it too.

Unfinished Centaur in the laboratory (left) and visualization of the finished robot (right)

Isn't creating human-like robots like playing God? To prove to ourselves that we will create something similar to humans?

I think it's a kind of fascination with our parable, just like with the AI, which we try to personify and talk to like a friend. And yet it doesn't make sense.

I don't do it because I want to play God. I'm fascinated by solving a problem, and I think that other people who make robots have the same experience. But to sell it, they make a sensation by adding the human-form factor to the robots. At the same time, it often doesn't make sense – I don't need a humanoid to drive the car for me, it's much more efficient to make an autonomous vehicle. I don't need a robot that will be 180 centimetres tall and walk on two legs, but 120 centimetres is enough for me if it fulfis its purpose. It is not necessary to make a copy of a human being at all costs.

So the feeling that we are experiencing a revolutionary time right now is just an illusion?

There is no revolution, it is a gradual development. And if we're talking about humanoids, they're cool, but I think it's too early for them. Many people don't even realize that we don't know how to properly assign them work yet. It's nice that the robot walks or runs, but you don't tell it to wash the dishes, for example. For example, the development of fine motor skills will take a long time, in my opinion. From a technical point of view, the resemblance to a human is often a complication for a robot: imagine an industrial space, a hall with a flat floor, and a humanoid robot in it, walking on two legs and carrying boxes – but why? It is much more effective when it has a humanoid top and lower body like a Segway. That's why companies often show the upper half of the robot's body independently of the lower one – because it would take too much energy if it were to run and do something at the same time.

There is not only a fascination with robots in society, but also a certain fear of technological developments. How do you perceive it?

I don't share it. As I said, there is no revolution. It's a temporary hype that runs in cycles and has been here many times before. "Revolutions" are made up of rather sensationalist people. When you see a revolution in robotics somewhere in the media, there's a good chance it's more marketing, at least that's how I see it.

And it's not just about robotics, even with AI, I feel that most people are mainly familiar with Chat GPT. At the same time, it's a kind of Google on steroids. When Google was created, people were fascinated by how it worked. Today it is normal for us. The hype always cools down and then those who had been involved in it before continue to pursue the field... until the next seeming sensation comes, and so on and so forth.

How do you build a robot from scratch?

You need motivation, otherwise you get bored after a while. But it has stuck with me since I saw the movie Number 5 Lives, so I've already built a lot of mobile robots.

The beginning is the same: pencil, paper, you sit down, you draw and calculate. Then I made the first designs, and tried to print the parts on a 3D printer, but of course, they didn't work out and fell apart. So, the second attempt follows, the third, ... Now I have about the fifth attempt at P.A.W.O., which finally works. In simulations, it is never possible to create a completely accurate model, parts from 3D printing are very flexible, in reality, they always behave a little differently. So, it's a constant iteration and one has to keep excited.

What will the Centaur – the humanoid you are building – look like after completion?

It looks a bit like a centaur, hence the name – it will be a combination of a two-legged and four-legged robot. A four-legged can carry more, and another load can be loaded on its back. I would be happy if it could carry at least a hundred kilos. It will be smaller than a human and its legs are divided not into two, but into three parts, which works out better in terms of drives. I think that the first applications of these robots will be to carry things or to monitor the environment where you need to enter, but it would be too dangerous for humans.

From time to time, there is also a report in the media that humanoid robots are being developed as companions for old or abandoned people. Do you think it will happen too?

On the one hand, there will probably be such a tendency, because humanoid robots will be more pleasant than a mobile screen. On the other hand, I wouldn't let my grandmother be taken care of by a robot instead of me. Humanoid should be there to provide service, we should let robotics help us and not let ourselves be replaced like humans. I understand that it may seem like a good idea to some, but I can't imagine completely replacing a human being in social interaction.

The last question will be a bit personal – how many robots do you have in your household?

Here it is true that the blacksmith's mare walks barefoot (laughs). I don't want any useless electronics at home, I don't have a smart house, not even a robotic vacuum cleaner. It's a matter of balance, I need to take a break from it at home.