Future and its affiliate partners may earn a commission when you purchase through links on our articles.
Image source: PNDbotics. Taken from YouTube.
A humanoid robot named “Adam-U Ultra” performed a complex, energetic dance with astonishing agility and grace without trembling, slipping or missing a beat.
In a new video released by Chinese robotics company PNDbotics, the robot, which is based on the company’s original Adam robot launched late last year, can be seen performing a complex series of steps. The dance is highly nuanced and human-like, including complex arm, waist and foot movements – all perfectly coordinated to the accompanying music.
According to PNDbotics representatives, this complex movement is possible because the model has 41 independently controllable joints, or actuators. These provide Adam with tremendous flexibility and range of motion, allowing it to mimic human movement – even challenging movements like freestyle dance. Although the video refers to the dance sequence as a Charleston dance, it’s actually more similar to a hip-hop dance.
All these actuators are coordinated by PNDbotic’s advanced control system and communication architecture. including a AI (AI) computing platform built around Nvidia’s Jetson Orin module, a system on module (SoM) that combines the CPU, GPU and other components to create the “brain” for the AI platform.
The robot continues to iterate and improve in aspects such as stability and balance by combining full-body control and model predictive control systems based on large-scale simulation environments and neural network training.
Adam-U Ultra also includes a sophisticated Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model, embody artificial intelligence The system can see the world, understand instructions and directly control movements, enabling robots to perform real-world tasks with natural language guidance. Essentially, you talk to it, tell it what to do, and it reacts accordingly. It is backed by 10,000 real-world behavioral samples and is designed to help the platform learn and adapt its movements to changing conditions.
The visual element of Adam’s VLA is driven by the Intel RealSense D455 depth vision sensor, which enables accurate 3D environment modeling and real-time spatial perception, along with multiple LiDAR and standard cameras.
The dancing fully humanoid robot was developed in parallel with PNDbotics’ Adam-U robot, a stationary model designed primarily as a data collection platform. According to the company’s websiteAdditionally, four fully mobile humanoid robots are in development, with varying degrees of freedom of movement, perception and computing power.
Related stories
—Watch this humanoid robot perform a side flip for the first time
—Fearless baby-faced robot dons a jetpack for his next adventure—and becomes the first humanoid to fly
— Weird robot chair concept that looks like a crab and can walk you around the house — and it can even help you get into your car
One of the keys to Adam’s smooth movement is the platform’s relatively light weight. Even the heaviest Adam Pro weighs only 139 pounds (63 kilograms), while the lightest weighs only 132 pounds (60 kilograms). All models stand 5.2 feet (1.6 meters) tall.
PNDbotics claims Adam can fulfill a variety of potential roles, from research and lab work to medical assistance and rehabilitation scenarios. The company says its robots can help train medical staff in rehabilitation, monitor patient recovery and even collaborate during surgeries.
The company’s website also states that Adam could work in a traditional industrial role on a production line or in the service industry as a concierge or receptionist.