Connect with us

Technology

Forget hands, Toyota’s hug-ready robot picks up with its entire body

Published

on

Forget hands, Toyota’s hug-ready robot picks up with its entire body

Join Fox News for access to this content

Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.

Please enter a valid email address.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided.

Having trouble? Click here.

In the world of robotics, we’ve often seen robots rely on their mechanical hands to pick up and manipulate objects. 

But that approach doesn’t quite capture the full essence of how humans interact with the world, especially when dealing with hefty items.

Advertisement

Enter Toyota’s groundbreaking creation, the Punyo soft robot. Unlike its traditional counterparts, Punyo takes inspiration from our own human behavior. 

Imagine a robot that doesn’t just use its hands but also incorporates its chest, hips and arms to handle objects — just like we do.

CLICK TO GET KURT’S FREE CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER WITH SECURITY ALERTS, QUICK VIDEO TIPS, TECH REVIEWS AND EASY HOW-TO’S TO MAKE YOU SMARTER 

Punyo, the soft robot  (Toyota Research Institute)

Punyo’s design

Punyo features a cute and approachable face reminiscent of Disney’s Baymax from Big Hero 6. But there’s more. Punyo appears to be wearing a cozy looking sweater, which serves a practical purpose. It’s highly hug-focused.

Advertisement

Toyota’s Punyo soft robot  (Toyota Research Institute)

MORE: THE CREEPY-EYED ROBOT THAT WANTS TO BE YOUR FRIEND AND TEACHER  

The hug-focused sweater

The sweater-like covering is made from grippy materials that provide a squishy, compliant layer over Punyo’s hard metal skeleton. Embedded within the fabric are tactile sensors that allow Punyo to feel precisely what it’s hugging, whether it’s a person or an object.

Toyota’s Punyo soft robot  at work (Toyota Research Institute)

Advertisement

MORE: STOP LOADING THE DISHWASHER: THIS ROBOT AIMS TO DO ALL THE CLEAN-UP FOR YOU  

Punyo’s inflatable paws

Instead of traditional hands, Punyo has what Toyota calls “paws.” These aren’t your typical paws. They’re more like inflatable hooves. These paws have tiny dots printed on the inside. When the paw touches something, the dots distort, revealing the shape and force of contact. The clever camera captures this deformation, and the information is fed directly to the robot’s brain to help it grasp objects effectively.

The Punyo soft robot has human characteristics (Toyota Research Institute)

MORE: CONSTRUCTION WORKERS BEING REPLACED BY AI ROBOT BRICKLAYERS  

Punyo’s softness in the arms

Punyo’s arms are arrays of air-filled bubbles, air tubes and pressure sensors that extend from shoulder to wrist. These bubbles can be individually pressure regulated, allowing for optimal stiffness based on the task at hand.

Advertisement

The Punyo soft robot lifts a box (Toyota Research Institute)

Training Punyo

Through teleoperation, Toyota Research Group roboticists have been training Punyo to handle various large objects. Some techniques include:

TOYOTA IS USING AI TO DESIGN BETTER CARS FASTER

The Punyo soft robot from Toyota (Toyota Research Institute)

The lean and lift: Punyo leans forward, hugs items to its ches and then leans back to lift them.

Advertisement

Heap it up: Punyo even has the ability to heap objects, making it versatile for different scenarios.

Creative carrying: Imagine slinging a water jug up onto Punyo’s shoulder, where it remains steady from above.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Punyo’s innovative design and emphasis on cuddling break new ground in soft robotics. Its gentle and precise grasp on large, awkward objects suggests exciting possibilities for robotic helpers in homes and other environments in the future.

Would you feel comfortable having a robot like Punyo in your home or at your workplace? Why or why not? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

Advertisement

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover

Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.

Advertisement

Technology

Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard

Published

on

Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard

When Oregon resident Isabelle Reksopuro heard Google was gobbling up public land to fuel its data centers in her home state, she didn’t initially know what to believe. “There’s a lot of misinformation about data centers,” she said. “Google has denied taking that land.”

Technically, she explains, The Dalles, a city near the Washington state border, sought to reclaim that land, “and Google is just a big, unnamed power user.” The city had in fact asked for ownership of a 150-acre portion of Mount Hood National Forest, claiming it needs access to Mount Hood’s watershed to meet municipal needs as its population — 16,010 as of the 2020 census — grows. But critics, including environmentalists, say the city is trying to secure more water for Google, which has a sprawling data center campus in The Dalles that already consumes about one-third of the city’s water supply.

This controversy made Reksopuro curious about the backlash to data centers being built in other communities. So Reksopuro, a student at the University of Washington who studies the connections between tech and public policy, decided to map it out. Using information collected by Epoch AI and data scraped from legislation on data centers, she built an interactive map tracking AI policy around the world. She designed it to be simple enough for anyone to use. “I wanted it to be something that my younger sisters could play through and explore to understand what are the data centers in the area and what’s actually being done about it,” Reksopuro said. She hoped to shift their opinions that way, “instead of like, through TikTok.”

Four times a day, the map searches for new sources and checks them against the existing database Reksopuro built out. “Once it does that, it will write a new summary, add it to the news feed, and populate it on the sidebar,” she said. “I wanted it to be self-updating, since I’m also a student.”

Reksopuro isn’t against data centers, but she thinks tech giants benefit from a lack of transparency around data center policies. “Right now, it’s this really opaque thing — and all of a sudden, there’s a facility,” she said. “I think that if people knew about data centers beforehand, it would give them leverage. They would be able to negotiate: ask for job training programs, tax revenue, environmental monitoring, things to improve their community.”

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Technology

Fox News AI Newsletter: Graduation speaker praises AI, gets instantly booed

Published

on

Fox News AI Newsletter: Graduation speaker praises AI, gets instantly booed

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

 

Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.

IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:

– UCF graduates clobber commencement speaker with boos after she says AI is the ‘next Industrial Revolution’

– OPINION: DIRECTOR KASH PATEL: We brought the FBI out of the past and into the AI age

Advertisement

– OpenAI backs creation of global AI governance body led by the U.S. that would include China as a member

TOUGH CROWD: During a recent commencement ceremony at the University of Central Florida, a speaker was met with loud boos from the graduating class after declaring that artificial intelligence represents the next industrial revolution. Fox News Digital reporting captures this tense cultural moment, illustrating the mixed public sentiment and skepticism surrounding AI’s growing footprint in daily life.

A statue on the campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. (iStock)

BADGE MEETS BYTE: Reflecting on the modernization of national security in a Fox News op-ed, FBI Director Kash Patel explores how the bureau must adapt its strategies to address modern threats and advance beyond the artificial intelligence age.

TECH DIPLOMACY: OpenAI is throwing its support behind the establishment of a new global artificial intelligence governance organization that would be led by the United States while notably including China as a member. Fox News Digital reporting examines the geopolitical dynamics and regulatory implications of this proposed framework as global powers race to set the standards for AI development.

Advertisement

EQUITY ELEVATION: The massive wave of wealth generated by the explosive growth of ChatGPT and the broader AI industry is driving a sudden surge in the San Francisco Bay Area’s luxury real estate market. Fox News Digital reporting breaks down how the influx of new tech capital is reshaping local housing dynamics and fueling a high-end property frenzy.

FBI Director Kash Patel listened as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke during a press conference at the Department of Justice on April 28, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

STRATEGY RESET: Tech giant Cisco is planning to eliminate thousands of jobs as the company shifts its primary focus to accelerate its artificial intelligence initiatives, a move that comes despite the company beating earnings expectations. Fox News Digital reporting details the corporate restructuring and broader economic trends pushing legacy tech firms to aggressively pivot toward AI.

ROAD HAZARD: Waymo is issuing a sweeping recall of its autonomous vehicle fleet following a concerning incident that highlighted significant safety issues with the self-driving technology. Fox News Digital reporting outlines the specifics of the recall, the nature of the safety flaw, and what this setback means for the future of fully autonomous transportation on public roads.

BOTS IN THE BAY: A newly developed, artificial intelligence-powered robot has been engineered to seamlessly change and balance vehicle tires without human intervention. Fox News Digital reporting showcases this latest innovation, exploring how automation and AI mechanics could soon revolutionize the automotive service and repair industry.

Advertisement

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the 2026 Infrastructure Summit in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 2026. (Kylie Cooper/Reuters)

 

FOLLOW FOX NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Twitter

Advertisement

LinkedIn

SIGN UP FOR OUR OTHER NEWSLETTERS

Fox News First

Fox News Opinion

Fox News Lifestyle

Fox News Health

Advertisement

DOWNLOAD OUR APPS

Fox News

FOX Business

Fox Weather

Fox Sports

Tubi

Advertisement

WATCH FOX NEWS ONLINE

Fox News Go

STREAM FOX NATION

Fox Nation

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future with Fox News here.

Continue Reading

Technology

Microsoft’s Edge Copilot update uses AI to pull information from across your tabs

Published

on

Microsoft’s Edge Copilot update uses AI to pull information from across your tabs

Microsoft Edge is adding a new feature that will allow its Copilot AI chatbot to gather information from all of your open tabs. When you start a conversation with Copilot, you can ask the chatbot questions about what’s in your tabs, compare the products you’re looking at, summarize your open articles, and more.

In its announcement, Microsoft says you can “select which experiences you want or leave off the ones you don’t.” The company is retiring Copilot Mode as well, which could similarly draw information from your tabs but offered some agentic features, like the ability to book a reservation on your behalf. Microsoft has since folded these agentic capabilities into its “Browse with Copilot” tool.

Several other AI features are coming to Edge, including an AI-powered “Study and Learn” mode that can turn the article you’re looking at into a study session or interactive quiz. There’s a new tool that turns your tabs into AI-powered podcasts as well, similar to what you’d find on NotebookLM, and an AI writing assistant that will pop up when you start entering text on a webpage.

You can also give Copilot permission to access your browsing history to provide more “relevant, high-quality answers,” according to Microsoft. Copilot in Edge on desktop and mobile will come with “long-term memory” as well, which can tailor its responses based on your previous conversations. And, when you open up a new tab, you’ll see a redesigned page that combines chat, search, and web navigation, along with the Journeys feature, which uses AI to organize your browsing history into categories that you can revisit.

Meanwhile, an update to Edge’s mobile app will allow you to share your screen with Copilot and talk through the questions about what you’re seeing. Microsoft says you’ll see “clear visual cues” when Copilot is active, “so you know when it’s taking an action, helping, listening, or viewing.”

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending