Kawasaki KALEIDO 8.0 Humanoid Robot Demos Next Gen Collab Tech (MANUS AI AGENT)

This fluid collaboration highlights Kaleido’s ability to complement human efforts in the real world, and on the hardware front, Kawasaki has integrated lightweight, compact force sensors into Kaleido’s elbows, mirroring the design used in its ankle. This addition allows the robot to detect forces and moments acting on its forearm beyond just the wrist. Such precision-enforced detection enhances Kaleido’s ability to handle delicate or complex tasks, from lifting objects to collaborating with humans in physically demanding scenarios. This upgrade makes the 8th generation of Kaleido much more adaptable than its predecessors and sets a new standard for sensor data collection.

But perhaps the most visually striking feature of the 8th generation Kaleido is its redesigned head, now equipped with a spherical monitor. Replacing the earlier inorganic design, the new monitor now uses an internal projector to display a wide range of images, including videos, text, and human-like facial expressions. This display transforms Kaleido into a social robot that supports natural interactions and is capable of conveying intentions and emotions in a relatable way. Whether it’s a smile to reassure a human collaborator or a text prompt to clarify a task, the spherical monitor adds a layer of interactivity to bridge the gap between technology and human connection.

And because the 8th generation Kaleido platform has been continuously refined by Kawasaki in terms of both the software and hardware, another critical upgrade is the robot’s advanced balance control system for autonomous task execution. This system employs real-time correction of the robot’s foot landing positions to maintain stability, plus a posture sensor mounted on the robot’s waist continuously monitors its inclination and speed, feeding data into a reinforcement learning algorithm that calculates the optimal landing spot for each step. Additionally, this tech upgrade ensures that Kaleido can recover from near falls, making it a critical feature in dynamic environments.

As for the robot’s future features, Kawasaki is also implementing a tele-operation system that leverages commercially available motion capture devices. This system allows humans to control Kaleido remotely for functions like remote task execution in dangerous environments. Plus Kawasaki is also working on a hybrid operational model where routine tasks are automated, while non-routine tasks are managed by human operators. This approach not only enhances efficiency, but also serves as a stepping stone for integrating artificial intelligence into Kaleido’s framework. Plus, the robot’s tele-operation system implies a whole new level of data collection. By recording real-world work data from human controlled operations, Kawasaki aims to train AI systems to eventually enable Kaleido to perform tasks completely autonomously.

As for the robot’s price, it’s still well above $150,000 with a commercial rollout nowhere on the horizon. But there’s another new general purpose robot named Vega that just released, and it’s also designed to perform a wide range of tasks but with a twist. Built with high payload arms, dexterous hands, a foldable torso and arm structure, an omnidirectional base and a high capacity battery, Vega offers a robot platform for various operational needs, with its design prioritizing adaptability and portability with an extended reach for practical use across different settings. In fact, the robot can extend itself up to 2.2 meters to access elevated areas and folds into a compact size for easier transport.

Plus, its vertical workspace range is also 2.2 meters with each arm supporting a nominal payload of 15 pounds, making it suitable for tasks involving moderate lifting or positioning. As for power, Vega’s battery provides over 10 hours of operation with the potential to exceed 30 hours when both arms are in use without a payload for prolonged activity. And with more than 36 degrees of freedom, Vega is equipped for tasks requiring coordinated movement and precision, with its arms featuring 13 degrees of freedom, while its torso and head each have 3 degrees of freedom for even more maneuverability, while spatial perception aids in navigating its surroundings.

On top of this, the omnidirectional base allows movement in any direction, enhancing its utility in environments such as manufacturing facilities, warehouses, or research spaces. And Vega’s design supports applications like material handling, assembly, or logistics, while offering a balance of reach, payload capacity, and mobility. As for price, this robot will likely cost between $80,000 to $130,000 based on its features and degrees of freedom. Meanwhile, Digital Biology Company in Silico just launched a fully automated laboratory now integrating humanoid robots to enhance automation and efficiency. In fact, this lab expands in Silico’s AI-driven drug discovery platform by incorporating robots to handle tasks such as cell culture, high-throughput screening, next-generation sequencing, cell imaging, and genomic analysis, with this move streamlining workflows while improving experimental precision.

And the lab builds on in Silico’s end-to-end system, replacing automated guided systems with humanoids that will eventually be remotely controlled by the company’s artificial intelligence, with these robots generating data that feeds directly into the Pandaomics platform to refine target hypotheses and validation processes. Altogether, this interconnected setup will accelerate drug discovery by combining robotic automation with AI-driven insights. And finally, a general-purpose AI agent developed by a small Chinese team is going viral after its launch, but it’s now facing scrutiny over its capabilities and availability. Created by Butterfly Effect, a small company based in Beijing, Manus is capable of handling complex tasks.

As for abilities, Manus offers autonomous task execution such as building websites, planning trips, creating dashboards, educational content, comparisons, and more. This is because Manus integrates tools like coding, web browsing, and data analysis for seamless execution and workflow automation, with real-time progress tracking via mobile to further enhance transparency. However, its invitation-only rollout and limited server capacity have restricted access, raising doubts about its claims, and inviting comparisons to China’s deep-seek AI. Addressing the access constraints, a product partner at Manus AI attributed them to server shortages due to being unprepared for the public response, with the current version being in its early stages.

And to add further complications to the launch, the team’s X account was suspended. And critics are noting Manus’s reliance on undisclosed large language models rather than new foundational technology like deep-seek, as the system is currently described quite vaguely as a multi-agent framework that uses multiple models with plans to open-source some of its elements. As the team works to scale its infrastructure and clarify its tech, Manus remains a test case for how emerging AI players navigate the balance between innovation, accessibility, and credibility in an increasingly competitive landscape. [tr:trw].