how to make a robot that does your homework

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How to Build a Robot at Home

Last Updated: June 2, 2024 Fact Checked

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 88 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,791,835 times. Learn more...

Do you want to learn how to build your own robot? There are a lot of different types of robots that you can make by yourself. Most people want to see a robot perform the simple tasks of moving from point A to point B. You can make a robot completely from analog components or buy a starter kit from scratch! Building your own robot is a great way to teach yourself both electronics as well as computer programming.

Assembling the Robot

• Arduino Uno (or other microcontroller) [1] X Research source
• 2 continuous rotation servos
• 2 wheels that fit the servos
• 1 caster roller
• 1 small solderless breadboard (look for a breadboard that has two positive and negative lines on each side)
• 1 distance sensor (with four-pin connector cable)
• 1 mini push-button switch
• 1 10kΩ resistor
• 1 USB A to B cable
• 1 set of breakaway headers
• 1 6 x AA battery holder with 9V DC power jack
• 1 pack of jumper wires or 22-gauge hook-up wire
• Strong double-sided tape or hot glue

• The servos should now be taking up the back half of the battery pack.

• If you bought a kit, the caster may have come with a few risers that you can use to ensure the caster reaches the ground. i

Wiring the Robot

Wiring the Power

Installing the Arduino Software

Programming the Robot

• You may want to lift the robot off of the surface, as it will just continue to move forward once the program is uploaded.

• 1 Follow an example. The following code will use the sensor attached to the robot to make it turn to the left whenever it encounters an obstacle. See the comments in the code for details about what each part does. The code below is the entire program. #include <Servo.h> Servo leftMotor ; Servo rightMotor ; const int serialPeriod = 250 ; // this limits output to the console to once every 1/4 second unsigned long timeSerialDelay = 0 ; const int loopPeriod = 20 ; // this sets how often the sensor takes a reading to 20ms, which is a frequency of 50Hz unsigned long timeLoopDelay = 0 ; // this assigns the TRIG and ECHO functions to the pins on the Arduino. Make adjustments to the numbers here if you connected differently const int ultrasonic2TrigPin = 8 ; const int ultrasonic2EchoPin = 9 ; int ultrasonic2Distance ; int ultrasonic2Duration ; // this defines the two possible states for the robot: driving forward or turning left #define DRIVE_FORWARD 0 #define TURN_LEFT 1 int state = DRIVE_FORWARD ; // 0 = drive forward (DEFAULT), 1 = turn left void setup () { Serial . begin ( 9600 ); // these sensor pin configurations pinMode ( ultrasonic2TrigPin , OUTPUT ); pinMode ( ultrasonic2EchoPin , INPUT ); // this assigns the motors to the Arduino pins leftMotor . attach ( 12 ); rightMotor . attach ( 13 ); } void loop () { if ( digitalRead ( 2 ) == HIGH ) // this detects the kill switch { while ( 1 ) { leftMotor . write ( 90 ); rightMotor . write ( 90 ); } } debugOutput (); // this prints debugging messages to the serial console if ( millis () - timeLoopDelay >= loopPeriod ) { readUltrasonicSensors (); // this instructs the sensor to read and store the measured distances stateMachine (); timeLoopDelay = millis (); } } void stateMachine () { if ( state == DRIVE_FORWARD ) // if no obstacles detected { if ( ultrasonic2Distance > 6 || ultrasonic2Distance < 0 ) // if there's nothing in front of the robot. ultrasonicDistance will be negative for some ultrasonics if there is no obstacle { // drive forward rightMotor . write ( 180 ); leftMotor . write ( 0 ); } else // if there's an object in front of us { state = TURN_LEFT ; } } else if ( state == TURN_LEFT ) // if an obstacle is detected, turn left { unsigned long timeToTurnLeft = 500 ; // it takes around .5 seconds to turn 90 degrees. You may need to adjust this if your wheels are a different size than the example unsigned long turnStartTime = millis (); // save the time that we started turning while (( millis () - turnStartTime ) < timeToTurnLeft ) // stay in this loop until timeToTurnLeft has elapsed { // turn left, remember that when both are set to "180" it will turn. rightMotor . write ( 180 ); leftMotor . write ( 180 ); } state = DRIVE_FORWARD ; } } void readUltrasonicSensors () { // this is for ultrasonic 2. You may need to change these commands if you use a different sensor. digitalWrite ( ultrasonic2TrigPin , HIGH ); delayMicroseconds ( 10 ); // keeps the trig pin high for at least 10 microseconds digitalWrite ( ultrasonic2TrigPin , LOW ); ultrasonic2Duration = pulseIn ( ultrasonic2EchoPin , HIGH ); ultrasonic2Distance = ( ultrasonic2Duration / 2 ) / 29 ; } // the following is for debugging errors in the console. void debugOutput () { if (( millis () - timeSerialDelay ) > serialPeriod ) { Serial . print ( "ultrasonic2Distance: " ); Serial . print ( ultrasonic2Distance ); Serial . print ( "cm" ); Serial . println (); timeSerialDelay = millis (); } }

Community Q&A

• Attach 2 toothbrush heads to the base of your robot if you want it to sweep the floor. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• If you want to add more character to your robot, cut out eye, arms, and legs out of paper, then attach them with tape.
• Make sure to measure each part before buying so you don't have to return anything!

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.makerspaces.com/arduino-uno-tutorial-beginners/
• ↑ https://learn.adafruit.com/Cardboard-Robot-Inchworm/add-the-electronics
• ↑ https://makezine.com/projects/building-a-simple-arduino-robot/
• ↑ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/references/how-to-use-a-breadboard
• ↑ https://support.arduino.cc/hc/en-us/articles/360019833020-Download-and-install-Arduino-IDE

About This Article

To build a simple robot that can move on its own, purchase a starter kit, or assemble the components you need from an electronics supplier. You'll need a microcontroller, the small computer that will serve as your robot's brain; a pair of continuous rotation servos to drive the wheels; wheels that fit the servos; a caster roller; a small solderless breadboard for building your circuits; a battery holder; a distance sensor; a push button switch, and jumper wires. Affix the servos to the end of the battery pack with double-sided tape or hot glue, making sure the the rotating ends of the servos are on the long sides of the battery pack. Attach the breadboard to the battery pack next to the servos with the tape or hot glue. Place the microcontroller on the flat space on top of the servos and affix firmly there. Press the wheels firmly onto the spindles of the servos. Attach the caster to the front of the breadboard. The caster spins freely, and acts as the front wheel of the robot, making it easy to turn and roll in any direction. Plug the distance sensor to the front of your breadboard. Wire up your robot, connecting the servos, microcontroller, switch and battery pack to your breadboard. Connect your microcontroller to a computer via a USB cable. Upload a basic control program from your computer to the microcontroller. This robot can go forward, backward, stop, and turn away from obstacles. Test your robot on a smooth flat surface, and experiment to see what you can make it do. For more tips, including how to use Arduino software, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Do your homework

Are your students using AI bots to do theirs? After all, AI is readily available and capable as we found out

We gave ChatGPT a prompt to ‘write an editorial (300 words) for a readership of teachers on the danger of students using AI bots to do their homework for them’. This what it produced:

Source: © Shutterstock

Could you spot a chemistry homework written by an AI bot?

As teachers, we have all seen the impact that technology can have on the classroom. From smartphones and tablets to educational software and online resources, there are countless tools that can help our students learn and grow. However, there is also a dark side to technology in education, and it is something that we need to be aware of and address.

One of the biggest concerns is the use of AI bots to do students’ homework for them. With the rise of artificial intelligence and the increasing availability of AI-powered tools, it is becoming easier and easier for students to use these bots to complete their assignments without actually learning the material.

We need to make it clear that cheating is unacceptable

On the surface, this may seem like a harmless way for students to save time and effort, but it is actually a serious problem for several reasons. First and foremost, using AI bots to do homework undermines the entire purpose of education. The goal of homework is to reinforce the concepts that students are learning in class, not to simply churn out answers without understanding them. By using AI bots to do their homework, students are cheating themselves out of a valuable learning opportunity.

Furthermore, using AI bots to do homework sets a dangerous precedent. It teaches students that they can take shortcuts and cheat their way through school, rather than putting in the hard work and effort that are necessary for success. This attitude can carry over into other areas of their lives, leading to a lack of motivation and a lack of real-world skills.

As teachers, it is our responsibility to educate our students about the dangers of using AI bots to do their homework. We need to make it clear that cheating is unacceptable and that the only way to truly learn and grow is through hard work and dedication. By taking a strong stance on this issue, we can help our students develop the skills and values that will serve them well throughout their lives. 

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A new AI chatbot might do your homework for you. But it's still not an A+ student

Emma Bowman

Enter a prompt into ChatGPT, and it becomes your very own virtual assistant. OpenAI/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

Enter a prompt into ChatGPT, and it becomes your very own virtual assistant.

Why do your homework when a chatbot can do it for you? A new artificial intelligence tool called ChatGPT has thrilled the Internet with its superhuman abilities to solve math problems, churn out college essays and write research papers.

After the developer OpenAI released the text-based system to the public last month, some educators have been sounding the alarm about the potential that such AI systems have to transform academia, for better and worse.

"AI has basically ruined homework," said Ethan Mollick, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, on Twitter.

The tool has been an instant hit among many of his students, he told NPR in an interview on Morning Edition , with its most immediately obvious use being a way to cheat by plagiarizing the AI-written work, he said.

Academic fraud aside, Mollick also sees its benefits as a learning companion.

Opinion: Machine-made poetry is here

He's used it as his own teacher's assistant, for help with crafting a syllabus, lecture, an assignment and a grading rubric for MBA students.

"You can paste in entire academic papers and ask it to summarize it. You can ask it to find an error in your code and correct it and tell you why you got it wrong," he said. "It's this multiplier of ability, that I think we are not quite getting our heads around, that is absolutely stunning," he said.

A convincing — yet untrustworthy — bot

But the superhuman virtual assistant — like any emerging AI tech — has its limitations. ChatGPT was created by humans, after all. OpenAI has trained the tool using a large dataset of real human conversations.

"The best way to think about this is you are chatting with an omniscient, eager-to-please intern who sometimes lies to you," Mollick said.

It lies with confidence, too. Despite its authoritative tone, there have been instances in which ChatGPT won't tell you when it doesn't have the answer.

That's what Teresa Kubacka, a data scientist based in Zurich, Switzerland, found when she experimented with the language model. Kubacka, who studied physics for her Ph.D., tested the tool by asking it about a made-up physical phenomenon.

"I deliberately asked it about something that I thought that I know doesn't exist so that they can judge whether it actually also has the notion of what exists and what doesn't exist," she said.

ChatGPT produced an answer so specific and plausible sounding, backed with citations, she said, that she had to investigate whether the fake phenomenon, "a cycloidal inverted electromagnon," was actually real.

When she looked closer, the alleged source material was also bogus, she said. There were names of well-known physics experts listed – the titles of the publications they supposedly authored, however, were non-existent, she said.

"This is where it becomes kind of dangerous," Kubacka said. "The moment that you cannot trust the references, it also kind of erodes the trust in citing science whatsoever," she said.

Scientists call these fake generations "hallucinations."

"There are still many cases where you ask it a question and it'll give you a very impressive-sounding answer that's just dead wrong," said Oren Etzioni, the founding CEO of the Allen Institute for AI , who ran the research nonprofit until recently. "And, of course, that's a problem if you don't carefully verify or corroborate its facts."

Users experimenting with the chatbot are warned before testing the tool that ChatGPT "may occasionally generate incorrect or misleading information." OpenAI/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

An opportunity to scrutinize AI language tools

Users experimenting with the free preview of the chatbot are warned before testing the tool that ChatGPT "may occasionally generate incorrect or misleading information," harmful instructions or biased content.

Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, said earlier this month it would be a mistake to rely on the tool for anything "important" in its current iteration. "It's a preview of progress," he tweeted .

The failings of another AI language model unveiled by Meta last month led to its shutdown. The company withdrew its demo for Galactica, a tool designed to help scientists, just three days after it encouraged the public to test it out, following criticism that it spewed biased and nonsensical text.

Untangling Disinformation

Ai-generated fake faces have become a hallmark of online influence operations.

Similarly, Etzioni says ChatGPT doesn't produce good science. For all its flaws, though, he sees ChatGPT's public debut as a positive. He sees this as a moment for peer review.

"ChatGPT is just a few days old, I like to say," said Etzioni, who remains at the AI institute as a board member and advisor. It's "giving us a chance to understand what he can and cannot do and to begin in earnest the conversation of 'What are we going to do about it?' "

The alternative, which he describes as "security by obscurity," won't help improve fallible AI, he said. "What if we hide the problems? Will that be a recipe for solving them? Typically — not in the world of software — that has not worked out."

Make DIY Homework Writing Machine at Home

Introduction: Make DIY Homework Writing Machine at Home

Drawing Robot/Pen Plotter/Drawing Machine is an Open Hardware version of the famous machine AxiDraw which it is a pen plotter, capable of writing or drawing on almost any flat surface. It can write with pens, permanent markers, pencils, and other writing implements to handle an endless variety of applications.

Its unique design features a writing head that extends beyond the machine, making it possible to draw on objects bigger than the machine itself. The biggest advantage of the machine is that it can be placed over the book because of the core XY extending design of the machine.

This Drawing Robot/Pen Plotter/Drawing Machine is similar to the commercially available AxiDraw. It is powered by an Arduino Uno controller, uses a CNC Shield, and GRBL firmware

The cost to build the Drawing Robot is between $75 depending on where you buy your parts and whether you already own some of the parts such as the Arduino.

You can find all of my projects on https://www.diyprojectslab.com/

Maximum drawing area 24 * 30 CM.

Thank You NextPCB This project is successfully completed because of the help and support from NextPCB. Guys if you have a PCB project, please visit their website and get exciting discounts and coupons.

Free shipping 0$ PCB Prototype： https://www.nextpcb.com/pcb-quote?act=2&code=Romeo...

Thanksgiving Christmas lucky draw 100% win: https://www.nextpcb.com/christmas-lucky-draw?code...

Step 1: Parts and Materials Required

2 x Nema 17 Stepper Motors Amazon.com

2 x Linear Rod M8 x 450mm for X Axis Amazon.com

2 x Linear Rod M8 x 350mm for Y Axis Amazon.com

2 x Linear Rod 3mm for Z Axis (you can get it from old CDROM)

1 x Threaded Rod M8 x 480mm8 x LM8UU Bearings Amazon.com

1 x Servo Sg901 x Spring 5m (from ball point pen) Amazon.com

2 x GT2 Pulley, 16 teeth Amazon.com

5 x Bearing 624zz Amazon.com

1 x 2000mm GT2 belt Amazon.com

1 x Arduino Uno Amazon.com

1 x CNC Shield Amazon.com

2 x A4988 Stepper driver with heatsink Amazon.com

6 x Jumpers Amazon.com

1 x 12V 2A Power Supply Amazon.com

• 4 x 5/16in-18
• 13 x Phillips M3-0.5 x 16mm
• 4 x Phillips M3-0.5 x 6mm
• 5 x Phillips M4-0.7x 35mm
• 1 x Hex M3-0.5 x 20mm
• 4 x 5/16in washer
• 4 x M3 washers

Step 2: 3D Printing

Download the files from Thingiverse

Open the 3D models in Cura or any other slicer.

Use 75% infill on all the parts (An infill of 70 – 100% will work as well)

Printed all the parts with 0.10 – 0.20 mm layer height

Printed with PLA

Use supports on the Penholder, Slider, X_Support_L and the X_Support_R

Note: The longest part took around 10hrs and the shortest took 30 minutes to print

PLA is fine for this design. I print at 200C on BuildTak. None of the parts require rafts or brims. I suggest supports only for the pen holder and the Z axis end plate which is standing up.

Step 3: Assemble the X-Axis

Remember that you need (2) 350mm and (2) 450mm long linear rods

Take the (2) 450mm linear rods and insert them into either x-support part

• Use may need to use a round file to smooth out the holes that you insert them in
• Also, you can use a rubber mallet to help insert the rods

Now take the threaded rod and insert it in the hole below. Feed a 5/16in washer and 5/16in nut on both sides of the x-support part

Step 4: Assemble the X-Axis Bearing

Now you want to push the LM8UU bearings into their place on the top and bottom clamshell (The top and bottom clamshell take (4) bearings each)

Take (4) 624zz bearings and push them through the 3D-printed idler pulleys. Leave the 5th bearing for later when you assemble the Y-axis

Assemble the X-Axis (Carriage)

• Get (4) M3-0.5 x 20mm screws, (4) M3 nuts, (4) M3 washers and (4) 624zz bearings with the idler pulleys installed
• Take one screw and feed a washer through it, the washer will rest on the bearing. The nut will be at the bottom of the carriage, which will secure the bearing in place

Assemble the X-Axis (X-Support)

• Slide the clamshell through the 450mm (X-axis) linear rods
• Use a rubber mallet again to attach the last X-support on the linear rods
• Make sure that the rods stick out equally on both sides
• Slide the other end of the threaded rod through the hole on the X-support
• Put on the last set of nuts and washers to hold the X-support in place
• Now that the X-axis is complete, you can use (2) Phillips M3-0.5 x 16mm screws per X-support to help keep the linear rods from sliding

Step 5: Assemble the Y-Axis

• Take the (2) 350mm linear rods and insert them the Y-back piece by using a rubber mallet
• Get (1) M4-0.5 x 35 screw, (1) M4 nut and the 5th 624zz bearing
• Get (2) M3-0.5 x 16 screws to secure the linear rods
• Slide in the bearing when inserting the screw through the Y-back piece
• Slide the the linear rods/Y-back piece through the LM8UU bearings and attach the Y-front piece using a rubber mallet

Step 6: Assemble the X-Y Axis (Belt)

• Use a pair of needle nose pliers to help guide the GT2 belt more easily through the clamshell
• Take the two ends of the belt and slide them through the “teeth” on the Base Slider
• The belt should be tight and not loose
• Note that once the GT2 belt is on, it is normal for the clamshell not to move easily

Step 7: Assemble the Z-Axis

• Get (2) 3mm linear rods and the following 3D printed parts (Slider, Pen Holder, Base Slide, 3MM Metric Thumb Screw)
• Get (1) Hex M3-0.5 x 20mm screw and the Metric Thumb Screw and push them together. Use superglue to keep it together.
• Get (3) M3-0.5 x 16mm screws which you will use the secure the Base Slide to the Y-Front part. You may need to use (3) M3-0.5 nuts in order to hold it in place
• Push the Slider and Pen Holder together to make one piece
• Now take that new part and the (2) 3mm linear rods and slide the rods through the holes. Place a small spring in between the two parts so there is a little bit of pressure to lift the Slider. You may need to cut the spring a bit until there is an adequate amount of pressure on the slider.

Step 8: ​ELECTRONICS

ELECTRONICS

i prefer you can use Arduino uno CNC Shield

Ready to your all circuit

1) 4pcs A4988 Stepper Motor Driver

2) Expansion Board A4988 Driver

3)Arduino UNO First of all take hit sink and stick on A4988 motor Driver.

4pcs A4988 Stepper motor driver connect on expansion board A4988 driver module, then connect the arduino with expansion board and connect all wiring The shield also has a built-in micro stepping control - meaning that instead of using full steps or half steps like a large CNC would do, we can make the motors move by 1/16 or 1/32 of a step to make the laser move with the maximal precision possible. However, the motors will consume more electricity: they will get hot quicker.

To use the micro stepping modes, short some of the mode pins together. Different combinations give different resolutions. Take a look at the chart for the different configurations possible. When the shield is programmed, add the A4988 drivers to it and wire up the rest of the electronics.

To find the coils of the stepper motors, use a multimeter. If there's resistance between the two wires, you have a coil. On the schematic, the coils are represented by two wires of the same color.

Step 9: SOFTWARE

Inkscape which is the graphics design software (draw or import graphics)

Inkscape MI GRBL Extension (convert graphics to G-Code)Universal G Code Sender (sends the G-Code to the robot causing drawing motion)GRBL which is the Arduino firmware (programmed into the Arduino Uno)

Arduino: https://www.arduino.cc/en/software

Universal G-code sender: https://winder.github.io/ugs_website/...

Inkscape: https://inkscape.org/release/inkscape..

4xiDraw & km laser: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YO8-...

Processing: https://processing.org/download/

drawing to G-code processing: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PIFx...

watch video for full setup

Step 10: Drawing Machine at Work

Recommendations

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Text Contest

Pets and Animals Contest

How To Make A Robot: Ultimate Guide [Updated 2020]

• How-To Guides
• Tech Setup & Troubleshooting

Building a robot at home is not as hard as it seems at first glance. Robots are in use all around us while many people do not realize that learning how to make a robot does not require expertise in electronics and computer programming. In fact, making a robot is easier than you expect.

This is because even experts of the think of robots as intelligent systems while the definition of a robot says these are machines that are able to carry out a complex series of actions automatically. In this sense, your electric toothbrush is also a robot as it automatically performs a series of actions your grandfather had performed manually.

Actually, nearly half of all manual and physical world activity is forecast to be performed by robots by 2022, according to the World Economic Forum.

Will Robots Replace Humans At Work?

We now make robots as sophisticated that they can perform many activities once considered only doable by humans and robotic machines are entering even more fields as artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms mature.

Nonetheless, those who are interested in how do you make a robot should be aware that more sophisticated robots really require advanced knowledge in electronics and coding as well as access to industrial equipment to build such robots. Nonetheless, you will show you how to build a robot at home following a number of easy steps.

How To Make A Robot: Design Aspects

When you start studying how to make your own robots, you realize that you can actually assemble a robot in an hour or so and without having access to very advanced technology. Making robots is about using a power source, moving parts and, most important, attaching sensors that tell your robot what actions to perform.

When you are advancing your knowledge of how to build a real robot, you also learn that it does need coding either – sensors can do the work at the level of physical actions and without a single line of programming code.

A robotic vacuum cleaner, for instance, does not require artificial intelligence to operate. And we will show you how to build a real robot that resembles the movement of a 1,000-dollar automated vacuum cleaner by using parts that cost only a few bucks.

How To Make A Robot For Under $100

Your robotic vacuum cleaner is looking smart as it is driving around the house bypassing obstacles and turning right or left when hitting a wall. You can build a real robot like that using just five simple components:

• Four wheels
• Four switches
• Four paperclips

Do not forget to buy also a battery to power up your first home-made robot.

When you have all the parts in place, take your time to attach the four wheels to the chassis of your first robot. The result is look like the one on the image below.

Now comes the fun part – how to make a robot that acts intelligently .

How To Build A Self-Driving Robot

Well, our robot will not exactly avoid walls but will drive back when it hits one and will then head in a new direction. Which is actually smart enough for a beginner engineer. 

Our robot’s design sports two small electrical engines that each power up the wheels on the left side and on the right side of the car, respectively. You can attach them to only one pair of wheels, with the first motor powering one left-side wheel and the other driving its neighbor on the right side.

Thus, you can add switches to each engine that reverse the wheels’ motion direction. You are adding one switch to the front and the back of your chassis – two on the left side and two on the right side. After you have the switches in place, you need sensors to activate them.

Attach one paperclip to each switch. You can actually make it work by attaching a longer hardwire to each switch but make sure it moves back and forth when pressed in order for the switch to work.

Then, comes the time to add the battery which you fix somewhere on the chassis.

How To Build A Robot’s Chassis

It is simple. Let’s name the four corners of our robot’s chassis A, B, C, and D – starting from the upper-left corner and going clockwise.

When sensor A hits a wall or another obstacle, it reverses the wheeling direction of the left-sided wheels (or wheel) backward. The right-sided wheels are still rotating toward the wall. Hence, the wheels on the two sides of the car are rotating in opposite directions.

The result is that your robot vehicles start to turn back and on the left. When it completes the turn, the paperclip in point D hits the wall, thus switching the direction of rotation of left-sided wheels once again. Now, the wheels on both sides rotate in the same direction and your “smart” robot is heading forward at full speed.

Concluding Words

You now can enjoy your first robot, but be on alert that your intended robotic application will determine the whole robot design of any machine. For instance, you do not put wheels on a robot that will roam a swampy land shaft and you do not need legs for a robot that works in outer space where no gravity is available.

People often associate robots with androids but when you decide how to build a real robot the anthropoid design should be your least concern. Building a robot at home should follow these basic principles of robotics that put function before design.

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This bot will do your homework for $9.95 a month. Does it actually work?

According to one 10th-grade history teacher, it’s unlikely to get you an A.

by Luke Winkie

“EssayBot is the highly acclaimed online platform giving essay writing assistance to students and subject authors. As the program has been produced with the most sophisticated tools and technologies, it is extremely automated and individualized. This US-based corporation works with the only purpose to give honest and convincing aid to authors for creating superior volumes that will get rewards and praises.”

That’s what EssayBot says when I asked it to describe itself. The service aims to be the holy grail for the world’s burnout 11th-graders. Type in your prompt — any prompt, from your history assignment to the question “what is EssayBot?” — and the machines get to work.

“To give honest and convincing aid to authors for creating superior volumes that will get rewards and praises”

Your opening paragraph is pulled whole cloth from a database of scholastic material. Then the diction is gently rephrased, with synonyms swapped in for non-essential words, until it can fly under the radar of the average plagiarism detector. From there, you can import a laundry list of additional paragraphs related to the subject of your essay, or you can use a drop-down menu called a “sentence creator,” perched patiently next to your blinking cursor. Write a word and EssayBot does its best to think up a sensible follow-up clause, based on the contours and language of what you’ve already got written down. All this for only $9.95 a month, or $49.95 a year. If you’ve ever spent a sleepless school night staring at an empty Word doc, you know what it’s like to be desperate enough to pay up.

I discovered EssayBot via YouTube ad, and when I put the site’s name into Google, I found hundreds of cautiously hopeful students taking to forums and review sites over the past year, asking if EssayBot is too good to be true. Procrastinating teens are an underserved market.

Aaron Yin, the proprietor of EssayBot, has been trying to sell AI text generation for years with limited success. His first attempt came in 2017 with a service that automatically constructed résumés, and the tech infrastructure of EssayBot was initially intended to help small businesses generate branding copy. But that angle never took off. Instead, Yin needed to find a hungrier demographic, and the millions of young men and women on a humanities deadline were a match made in heaven. “We use the same technology [from the business writing] for EssayBot,” he says. “To help students write essays.”

Yin considers EssayBot to be a streamlined version of what kids are already doing with their papers. He tells me he held focus groups full of college kids during EssayBot’s initial development and found that they all used similar tactics to write their essays. They would research and copy down the finer points of the arguments they wanted to use, they would reword those passages, and they turned to Google Scholar to find citations. If you’re extremely generous in your interpretation, you can argue that EssayBot is essentially a harmless mechanization of the academic process — rather than, you know, cheating. “The technology is actually a little similar to translation,” says Yin. “You’re putting something in a different way.”

“The technology is actually a little similar to translation. You’re putting something in a different way.”

There’s reason to believe what Yin is selling. In 2019, AI text generation is closer to the mainstream than ever. In February, there was a brief mania over the Elon Musk-backed company OpenAI and its silver-tongued text generator. Journalists from Wired , the Guardian , The Verge , and Vox were all invited to play with the fancy new algorithm that could generate cohesive short stories with reasonably consistent clarity. The generator has yet to be released to the public, with OpenAI claiming that it was “too dangerous” in our current Facebook-poisoned news culture. No matter how hyperbolic that warning might be, it seemed we were fast approaching a world where machines could demand column space.

• An AI helped us write this article

It’s a reality echoed by Neil Yager, the chief scientist and co-founder of Phrasee , an AI platform that formulates ideal, scientifically precise email headlines for press releases and marketing campaigns. He says that whether we realize it or not, we’re already reading a fair amount of computer-generated text as part of our media diet. “In things like weather reports, it’s called data to text. You take some numbers, like the humidity and temperature, and use an algorithm to automatically to spin that into a story,” he explains. “You have some simple logic in there. ‘If the temperature is above this, then say that it’s going to be a warm day.’ Robo-journalism is quite a big field.”

Still, it was difficult to believe that technology could adequately replicate a standard five-paragraph high school essay. Sure, EssayBot was able to introduce itself in its own uncanny syntax, but that was easy. How would it hold up in the eyes of a wary teacher? So I got my hands dirty in the EssayBot module and resolved to craft an essay about Brown v. Board of Education , a Supreme Court case any American student will inevitably write about at least once during their academic career.

The results were uneven. The language and the facts were mostly reasonable, but the overall narrative was jumbled.

EssayBot gave me a rock-solid opening paragraph, after which I was presented with a suite of additional paragraphs I could plug into the copy. As before, each of those paragraphs was plucked from the web and rephrased into something less plagiaristic by the site’s algorithm. I continued that process until I had about 700 words that tracked the basics of the trial and some light analysis about segregation in the public school system today. The results were uneven. The language and the facts were mostly reasonable, but the overall narrative was jumbled. The essay wasn’t tethered to a concrete thesis and read like a loose distillation dreamed up by an entity that knew all the information but wasn’t able to synthesize it into an authentic argument.

I decided to use the automatic sentence creator to fill out the conclusion, where things got funnier, and more dire. The sentences themselves were grammatically correct, but they’d often contradict each other within the text. At one point, EssayBot wanted to add “the solution is to change the way schools are run,” exactly one sentence after it added “the solution isn’t to simply change the way schools are run.” It figures that when you ask something non-sentient to write for you, you can expect something non-sentient in return.

So, naturally, when I emailed the essay to my 10th-grade history teacher Mr. Lourey, he gave it an easy F.

”The paper would probably earn a very low score in most classes, because it doesn’t seem to be clearly answering a prompt,” he wrote. “I guess if a teacher assigned a short essay that asked students to simply summarize an event, then maybe this type of paper could fly under the ‘teacher radar.’ But most properly designed writing prompts on civil rights would ask students to make some sort of original claim … even if I did not identify the paper as a creation of AI, it would earn a failing grade.”

“Even if I did not identify the paper as a creation of AI, it would earn a failing grade”

His reaction didn’t surprise me, nor did it surprise Yager. An AI text generator like EssayBot is simply incapable of responding to a multifaceted essay proposal with a human point of view. Your best bet is simulacrum, and simulacrum can break down very, very quickly. In fact, Yager says Phrasee’s AI model starts to degenerate after about 150 words or so.

Algorithms “don’t write like how you or I would write an essay. It doesn’t think, ‘Okay, here’s my idea, and here’s how I’m going to argue this point.’ Instead, it’s writing one word at a time with no idea where it’s going,” he explains. “There’s no understanding there. It’s not trying to get any point across; any point it makes is purely random and accidental. That’s the limitation of the technology today. … It studies the statistical properties of the language and can generate new text that shares those properties.”

That said, Yager is a little concerned about the future. As tools like EssayBot get better and more AI software hits the market, there will eventually come a moment, he says, where text generation will be a major concern for academia. “Technology is going to help people cheat. It’ll be a bit of an arms race. Things will improve over time, and so will the detection methods,” he says. “Even now, though it’s not great quality, I bet people are getting away with it.”

Yin, of course, would never call EssayBot software for cheaters, and he says that over the past year, he’s only ever gotten one angry email from a teacher. He points to a service called Chegg , which provides specific answers to classroom textbook questions for $15 a month. EssayBot, in his comparison, is a research tool rather than a flat, rote cheat sheet. A shortcut rather than misconduct.

”A student could use Chegg [to answer a problem,] and after graduation, if they saw a similar question, they still couldn’t do it,” says Yin. “With EssayBot, after graduation, if a student became a marketing specialist and write marketing material, they could still use EssayBot.”

Perhaps one day we might need to formally establish the parameters for how much a robot is allowed to assist you in the writing process. Until then, be careful with the machines. They might just flunk you.

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Discover Accurate Answers to Frequently Asked Homework Questions

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Robots could become much better learners thanks to ground-breaking method devised by Dyson-backed research — removing traditional complexities in teaching robots how to perform tasks will make them even more human

Robots have even been trained to put the toilet seat down

One of the biggest hurdles with teaching robots new skills is how to convert complex, high-dimensional data, like images from onboard RGB cameras, into actions that accomplish specific goals. Existing methods typically rely on 3D representations requiring accurate depth information, or using hierarchical predictions working with motion planners or separate policies.

Researchers at the Imperial College London and the Dyson Robot Learning Lab have unveiled a novel approach that could address this problem. The "Render and Diffuse" (R&D) method aims to bridge the gap between high-dimensional observations and low-level robotic actions, especially when data is scarce.

R&D, detailed in a paper published on the arXiv preprint server , tackles the problem by using virtual renders of a 3D model of the robot. By representing low-level actions within the observation space, researchers were able to simplify the learning process.

Imagining their actions within an image

One of the visualizations researchers applied the technique to was getting the robots to do something that human men find impossible – at least according to women – putting a toilet seat down. The challenge is taking a high-dimensional observation (seeing the toilet seat is up) and marrying it with a low-level robotic action (putting the seat down).

TechXplore explains, “In contrast with most robotic systems, while learning new manual skills, humans do not perform extensive calculations to determine how much they should move their limbs. Instead, they typically try to imagine how their hands should move to tackle a specific task effectively.”

Vitalis Vosylius, final year Ph.D. student at Imperial College London and lead author of the paper said, "Our method, Render and Diffuse, allows robots to do something similar: 'imagine' their actions within the image using virtual renders of their own embodiment. Representing robot actions and observations together as RGB images enables us to teach robots various tasks with fewer demonstrations and do so with improved spatial generalization capabilities."

A key component of R&D is its learned diffusion process. This iteratively refines the virtual renders, updating the robot's configuration until the actions closely align with training data.

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The researchers conducted extensive evaluations, testing several R&D variants in simulated environments and on six real-world tasks including taking a lid off a saucepan, putting a phone on a charging base, opening a box, and sliding a block to a target. The results were promising and as the research progresses, this approach could become a cornerstone in the development of smarter, more adaptable robots for everyday tasks.

"The ability to represent robot actions within images opens exciting possibilities for future research," Vosylius said. "I am particularly excited about combining this approach with powerful image foundation models trained on massive internet data. This could allow robots to leverage the general knowledge captured by these models while still being able to reason about low-level robot actions."

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Wayne Williams is a freelancer writing news for TechRadar Pro. He has been writing about computers, technology, and the web for 30 years. In that time he wrote for most of the UK’s PC magazines, and launched, edited and published a number of them too.

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Robots are infiltrating our daily lives. They are cleaning our floors, driving us around on campus or the golf course, operating on people, flipping hamburgers, and they’re teaching children in Asia. There are even robots like mBot that teaches kids about robotics.

Robots are meant to automate repetitive tasks, leaving humans free for more creative and rewarding endeavors. And what is more repetitive than having to copy text from a book several times?

The writing robot that can copy texts for students

Enter a very enterprising young Chinese teen. She used the money she received over Chinese New Year to buy a so-called copying robot to do her homework for her. In all fairness, the homework, in this case, was to copy passages from a textbook. Chinese teachers give this kind of homework, even during the Lunar Year holidays, so students can practice the thousands of Chinese characters that make up Mandarin Chinese.

The device, a metal frame, and pen comes with the marketing message that it could “imitate all sorts of handwriting”. In her case, the device performed perfectly, finishing all her homework in record time and in her handwriting. The incident was reported , including the destruction of the device by the girl’s mother. Far from being criticized for her dishonesty, the girl was praised by netizens for her initiative and the company that manufactures the writing robot has been inundated with inquiries ever since.

In an investigation, the South China Morning Post found several entries for a so-called “copying robot” on the e-commerce platform Taobao. It seems like a good idea to let a robot do something for you that is boring and repetitive, but you have to ask yourself if that’s a sensible thing to do. Surely you miss out on a learning opportunity if you let a robot do your work for you.

That doesn’t mean that robots cannot be useful when it comes to school homework. Rather than doing the work for you, your robot can help you to do the work and master the concepts in the curriculum. 

The robot that can do math homework

For kids who might feel burdened by too much homework, the future holds much promise. Christopher Yan and Derek He have come up with a concept of a homework-solving robot. Their prototype can solve math homework. What’s more, when it’s completed, the robot will be able to write the answers according to the user’s handwriting, so a teacher won’t suspect that the work was not done by the student. Their project known as Homework Help , picked up the top honors at this year’s PennApps, one of the largest student hackathons in the world, held at University of Pennsylvania.

It seems there is a need for robots that can help students with their homework. Scientists have noticed that children form close emotional bonds with social robots. It is not yet clear why this is so, but educators can exploit this to help students with their studies. Robots can, and do, add a fun aspect to learning. They can also add a fun aspect to homework.

Harnassing Edtech’s Disruptive Power

Technology collaboration results in improved success.

Matthew Lynch

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Robots are infiltrating our daily lives. They are cleaning our floors, driving us around on campus or the golf course, operating on people, flipping hamburgers, and they’re teaching children in Asia. There are even robots like mBot that teaches kids about robotics.

Robots are meant to automate repetitive tasks, leaving humans free for more creative and rewarding endeavors. And what is more repetitive than having to copy text from a book several times?

The writing robot that can copy texts for students

Enter a very enterprising young Chinese teen. She used the money she received over Chinese New Year to buy a so-called copying robot to do her homework for her. In all fairness, the homework, in this case, was to copy passages from a textbook. Chinese teachers give this kind of homework, even during the Lunar Year holidays, so students can practice the thousands of Chinese characters that make up Mandarin Chinese.

The device, a metal frame, and pen comes with the marketing message that it could “imitate all sorts of handwriting”. In her case, the device performed perfectly, finishing all her homework in record time and in her handwriting. The incident was reported , including the destruction of the device by the girl’s mother. Far from being criticized for her dishonesty, the girl was praised by netizens for her initiative and the company that manufactures the writing robot has been inundated with inquiries ever since.

In an investigation, the South China Morning Post found several entries for a so-called “copying robot” on the e-commerce platform Taobao. It seems like a good idea to let a robot do something for you that is boring and repetitive, but you have to ask yourself if that’s a sensible thing to do. Surely you miss out on a learning opportunity if you let a robot do your work for you.

That doesn’t mean that robots cannot be useful when it comes to school homework. Rather than doing the work for you, your robot can help you to do the work and master the concepts in the curriculum. 

The robot that can do math homework

For kids who might feel burdened by too much homework, the future holds much promise. Christopher Yan and Derek He have come up with a concept of a homework-solving robot. Their prototype can solve math homework. What’s more, when it’s completed, the robot will be able to write the answers according to the user’s handwriting, so a teacher won’t suspect that the work was not done by the student. Their project known as Homework Help , picked up the top honors at this year’s PennApps, one of the largest student hackathons in the world, held at University of Pennsylvania.

It seems there is a need for robots that can help students with their homework. Scientists have noticed that children form close emotional bonds with social robots. It is not yet clear why this is so, but educators can exploit this to help students with their studies. Robots can, and do, add a fun aspect to learning. They can also add a fun aspect to homework.

Harnassing Edtech’s Disruptive Power

Technology collaboration results in improved success.

Matthew Lynch

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Robot does tedious homework

Source: NYT (1/21/19) Chinese Girl Finds a Way Out of Tedious Homework: Make a Robot Do It By Daniel Victor and Tiffany May

Upgrading a handwriting robot’s software at an exhibition in Guiyang, China. A student made the news in China for putting a similar machine to inventive use.CreditLam Yik Fei for The New York Times

HONG KONG — Some would say she cheated. Others would say she found an efficient way to finish her tedious assignment and ought to be applauded for her initiative.

The debate lit up Chinese social media this week after the Qianjiang Evening News reported that a teenage girl had found a loophole for her homework: She bought a robot that mimicked her handwriting. Instead of having to manually copy phrases or selections from a textbook dozens of times, a repetitive task common in learning Chinese, she could just teach the robot to do it for her.

On Weibo, a popular social media platform, commenters who had suffered through endless hours of similar homework themselves were split, though most appeared to be sympathetic or even impressed.

“Give her a break. How meaningful is copying anyway?” one commenter asked.

“The difference between humans and other animals is that they know how to make and use tools,” another reasoned. “This young lady already knows how to do this.”

Proficiently reading and writing in Chinese requires knowing thousands of characters. Copying them repeatedly is often seen as a necessary step in learning how to write them. In addition to being tested on individual characters, they may also be asked to transcribe a literary text from memory — an assignment usually dreaded by students.

Like Bart in the opening sequence of “The Simpsons,” students can also be punished by being made to write out texts repeatedly; unlike Bart, they are often ordered to copy whole textbook chapters, not just single sentences. Chinese curriculums in both the sciences and humanities prize rote memorization.

The Chinese newspaper reported that the girl had spent about 800 yuan, or $120, that she had saved from Lunar New Year presents to buy the robot.

She finished a slew of text-copying assignments in two days, much faster than her mother expected, the newspaper reported. The mother discovered — and then smashed — the machine while cleaning the girl’s room, according to the article.

Such technology typically uses robotics to drag a pen across an anchored piece of paper. Some of the products feature pre-loaded handwriting styles, while some allow users to digitize and copy their own handwriting.

The robots are a modern update to a technology that has long existed. At its most basic level, it’s easy to create custom stamps that replicate a signature. Barack Obama was the first American president to use an autopen to sign legislation , though presidents since Harry Truman have used them for correspondence.

Credit Credit Video by AutopenCo

A New York-based company, Bond , uses similar robots to send “handwritten” notes by the thousands. The company says it is “dedicated to recreating the nuance and beauty of human writing.”

Credit Credit Video by Bond It’s also not the first time intrepid Chinese students have found ways to cut corners on their copying assignments.

“Back in the day, we already felt so smug for tying two pens together,” one Weibo commenter said.

Claire Fu contributed research from Beijing.

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A new AI chatbot might do your homework for you. But it's still not an A+ student

Why do your homework when a chatbot can do it for you? A new artificial intelligence tool called ChatGPT has thrilled the internet with its superhuman abilities to solve math problems, churn out college essays and write research papers.

After the developer OpenAI released the text-based system to the public last month, some educators have been sounding the alarm about the potential that such AI systems have to transform academia, for better and worse.

"AI has basically ruined homework," said Ethan Mollick, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, on Twitter.

The tool has been an instant hit among many of his students, he told NPR in an interview on Morning Edition , with its most immediately obvious use being a way to cheat by plagiarizing the AI-written work, he said.

Academic fraud aside, Mollick also sees its benefits as a learning companion.

He's used it as his own teacher's assistant, for help with crafting a syllabus, lecture, an assignment and a grading rubric for MBA students.

"You can paste in entire academic papers and ask it to summarize it. You can ask it to find an error in your code and correct it and tell you why you got it wrong," he said. "It's this multiplier of ability, that I think we are not quite getting our heads around, that is absolutely stunning," he said.

A convincing — yet untrustworthy — bot

But the superhuman virtual assistant — like any emerging AI tech — has its limitations. ChatGPT was created by humans, after all. OpenAI has trained the tool using a large dataset of real human conversations.

"The best way to think about this is you are chatting with an omniscient, eager-to-please intern who sometimes lies to you," Mollick said.

It lies with confidence, too. Despite its authoritative tone, there have been instances in which ChatGPT won't tell you when it doesn't have the answer.

That's what Teresa Kubacka, a data scientist based in Zurich, Switzerland, found when she experimented with the language model. Kubacka, who studied physics for her Ph.D., tested the tool by asking it about a made-up physical phenomenon.

"I deliberately asked it about something that I thought that I know doesn't exist so that they can judge whether it actually also has the notion of what exists and what doesn't exist," she said.

ChatGPT produced an answer so specific and plausible sounding, backed with citations, she said, that she had to investigate whether the fake phenomenon, "a cycloidal inverted electromagnon," was actually real.

When she looked closer, the alleged source material was also bogus, she said. There were names of well-known physics experts listed – the titles of the publications they supposedly authored, however, were non-existent, she said.

"This is where it becomes kind of dangerous," Kubacka said. "The moment that you cannot trust the references, it also kind of erodes the trust in citing science whatsoever," she said.

Scientists call these fake generations "hallucinations."

"There are still many cases where you ask it a question and it'll give you a very impressive-sounding answer that's just dead wrong," said Oren Etzioni, the founding CEO of the Allen Institute for AI , who ran the research nonprofit until recently. "And, of course, that's a problem if you don't carefully verify or corroborate its facts."

An opportunity to scrutinize AI language tools

Users experimenting with the free preview of the chatbot are warned before testing the tool that ChatGPT "may occasionally generate incorrect or misleading information," harmful instructions or biased content.

Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, said earlier this month it would be a mistake to rely on the tool for anything "important" in its current iteration. "It's a preview of progress," he tweeted .

The failings of another AI language model unveiled by Meta last month led to its shutdown. The company withdrew its demo for Galactica, a tool designed to help scientists, just three days after it encouraged the public to test it out, following criticism that it spewed biased and nonsensical text.

Similarly, Etzioni says ChatGPT doesn't produce good science. For all its flaws, though, he sees ChatGPT's public debut as a positive. He sees this as a moment for peer review.

"ChatGPT is just a few days old, I like to say," said Etzioni, who remains at the AI institute as a board member and adviser. It's "giving us a chance to understand what he can and cannot do and to begin in earnest the conversation of 'What are we going to do about it?' "

The alternative, which he describes as "security by obscurity," won't help improve fallible AI, he said. "What if we hide the problems? Will that be a recipe for solving them? Typically — not in the world of software — that has not worked out." Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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This Robot Learns How to Fight and Play Piano Just By Watching

Robot see, robot do.

Instead of designing a humanoid robot with AI reasoning and neural networks, you can just teach it yourself.

Researchers at Stanford University developed a robot that can imitate what you’re doing in real-time thanks to a simple webcam setup. Called HumanPlus , the team’s robot can learn how to box, play piano, return a ping pong ball, and type, all by shadowing what a human does.

This method of educating a robot is much simpler than what we’ve seen with more popular models, like Figure 01 or 1X’s Eve robot which both run off natural language understanding. However, once you teach the HumanPlus enough movements, it develops a deep knowledge base that lets it eventually handle tasks autonomously. The level of HumanPlus’s autonomy seems rather simple, like folding clothes or picking things off a shelf, so we don’t expect to see the HumanPlus on a factory floor anytime soon.

Robots Made Easier

Unlike other options we’ve seen, like the Boston Dynamics’ Atlas or Tesla’s Optimus bot , the HumanPlus represents more of a DIY way of getting an autonomous robot in your home. Looking at the bill of materials, the HumanPlus isn’t cheap either, with a total price tag of more than $100,000 if you’re following the exact specs from the researchers. The robot was built using Unitree’s H1 robot as a base, adding on hands from Inspire-Robots and wrists from Robotis, and a Razer webcam for seeing. That means the HumanPlus stands five feet nine inches tall and has 33 degrees of freedom.

The HumanPlus’ design is open source, so nothing is stopping you from adjusting the it as you see fit, so long as you have the technical know-how to do so. One of the researchers, Zipeng Fu, noted that the hardware required to remote control the HumanPlus only costs $50, which is much cheaper compared to the more popular option of using a Meta Quest headset.

Build It Yourself

Since the HumanPlus was the result of a research paper, don’t expect it to be commercially available anytime soon. Instead, you can build your own version using this GitHub repository that’s available to anyone.

If you want to replicate exactly what the Stanford University researchers made, you’ll have to shell out at least $90,000 for Unitree’s H1 robot to serve as the hardware platform. However, the robotics company also recently released a much more affordable version called the G1 that starts at $16,000. Instead of dropping upwards of $25,000 for Tesla’s upcoming Optimus bot, designing your own HumanPlus seems like the cheaper way to get your own autonomous robot at home.

10 Robots That'll Do Your Chores So You Don't Have To

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It may not feel like it, but technology has indeed made our lives significantly easier. Case in point: just look at how many tasks you can now delegate to robots and smart devices---including many of your chores.

The Roomba revolutionized the way we clean our floors, but there are so many other robot devices out there (and more still in development) that we can use to take care of the worst and most inconvenient household chores.

Here are 10 interesting ones to get you started.

1. Autonomous Lawnmower Husqvarna Automower 430X

If you've watched the latest season of Black Mirror, you might not be a fan of robots with blades. But trusty autonomous lawnmowers have been around for some time and have proven incredibly useful when it comes to gardening.

Much like autonomous vacuums, they have a variety of sensors that make it easier for them to navigate certain areas. And whereas autonomous vacuums only save you the work of cleaning a small amount of indoor space, an autonomous lawnmower like the Husqvarna Automower 430X can effortlessly cover multiple acres.

Furthermore, robot lawnmowers have safety mechanisms in place that prevent household accidents. It turns out that they are actually safer than regular lawnmowers in some ways. Robot mowers have sensors that are sensitive to collisions. They also deactivate the blades automatically when the device is handled---something which traditional mowers do not do.

2. Smart Vacuum ILIFE V8s Robot Vacuum

Smart vacuums are one of the original mainstays of autonomous appliances---and over time, not only has the technology become more affordable, but the robots have become more advanced.

There are entry-level vacuums that trade price for a shorter battery life, that can effectively clean one room at a time but are a bit of a nuisance. Then there are also higher-tier vacuums with a bevy of autonomous functions, including stairs detection, area mapping, and automatic docking in charging station.

Autonomous vacuums provide many benefits , which is why they are one of the most popular robot types among modern consumers. One of our personal favorites is the ILIFE V8s Robot Vacuum ( our review ).

3. Smart Mop iRobot Braava 380t Robot Mop

It seems that having our homes vacuumed by robots is not enough---we also want our floors mopped! That's where smart mops come in, which are basically robots that wash your floors. They either come as standalone devices or vacuum hybrids that include a washing function.

Just like smart vacuums, smart mops are able to navigate around your house. Instead of sucking up debris, however, they spray jets of water and wipe over it with a mop attachment. Some mops also have a sweep function, in case you need them to clean up a bit before adding water to the mix.

Many of the companies that make smart vacuums also have smart mops in their catalogs, such as the iRobot Braava 380t Robot Mop which comes from the same makers behind the popular Roomba.

4. Laundry Folding Robot FoldiMate Laundry Folding Machine

Folding laundry is not an energy-intensive chore, but it definitely takes time. So it's no wonder that scientists created a laundry-folding robot. The FoldiMate Laundry Folding Machine was showcased at CES 2018, but its automatic folding abilities were overshadowed by the machine's hefty price tag.

Using artificial intelligence (AI), the robotic folding machine is able to fold according to your preferences. But at nearly $1,000, you must really hate folding laundry (or have inordinate amounts to fold) to actually invest in one of these. If you can, you might fare better by waiting a few years for the price to drop.

5. Robotic Gutter Cleaner iRobot Looj 330 Gutter Cleaning Robot

Cleaning gutters is a nightmare for anyone who isn't comfortable with heights or the gunk that accrues over time. Luckily, robotic gutter cleaners have been invented to take care of the task on your behalf.

They're not as high-tech as some of the other robots on this list---which have app and internet connectivity---but they get the job done. You can operate them with remote controls and set them to different modes. But best of all, you do not have to manually guide them along.

The gadget is also a safer way to clean your gutters if you live in a multi-story house. If you're thinking about getting one, consider starting with the iRobot Looj 330 Gutter Cleaning Robot .

6. Smart Iron Effie Smart Iron

Ironing is a chore you need to stay on top of if you want your clothes to look presentable and clean. But when you have a massive wardrobe, ironing can be a hot and tiring process---which is why there's currently an automatic ironing robot under development.

An automatic iron is similar to a clothing press or hanging clothes dryer, but gentler and does not require you to handle the clothing during the ironing process.

These smart irons, however, seem to be few and far between in terms of consumer availability. The Effie Smart Iron is one possible option, but its release date hasn't been announced.

7. Robotic Window Cleaner HOBOT-188 Window Cleaning Robot

If you've ever had to clean glass sliding doors and large windows, you'll understand the appeal of a robotic window cleaner.

This type of robot has existed for some time, but on a much larger scale only for commercial buildings like skyscrapers. However, much smaller consumer versions of the technology are now available for home use.

It is also a safer way to clean those hard-to-reach exteriors on multi-story buildings. If you're dying to get started with one of these, check out the HOBOT-188 Window Cleaning Robot .

8. Pool Cleaning Robot Dolphin Nautilus Plus

Automated cleaning solutions for home pools has been around for some time, such as the popular Kreepy Krauly in South Africa. Yet while original models were dependent on your pool's pump system, modern pool cleaning robots are smarter than ever.

The latest robotic pool cleaners have sensors that prevent them from getting stuck in corners or floating aimlessly on the water's surface. More recently, companies introduced app-enabled pool cleaning robots that allow you to guide the robot, adjust modes, set timers, and more from a distance.

The Dolphin Nautilus Plus is one such device with great reviews, great performance, at a reasonable price.

9. Grill Cleaning Robot Grillbot Automatic Grill Cleaner

Grill enthusiasts can rejoice now that there are robots that clean your grill top for you. You don't have to break a sweat while attempting to vigorously scrub away at grease---if you're willing to pay extra for a gadget that does it for you.

One downside is that the lack of sensors means you have to keep your grill lid closed during cleaning. Also, nothing quite beats the effectiveness of elbow grease. Considering the price, it might make more sense to just suck it up and do the chore yourself.

But if you want your grill to be cleaned without any effort on your part, this is one more chore you can delegate to robots like the Grillbot Automatic Grill Cleaner , which looks funny but works pretty well.

10. Toilet Cleaning Robot SpinX Toilet Cleaning Robot

You would think that for a chore this hated, robots that clean your toilet would already be widely available. However, like the smart iron, this technology is still in its early days, with only a few products available.

The team at SpinX recently announced their SpinX Toilet Cleaning Robot . The device includes scanning technology, making it suitable for different types of toilet bowls. Altan Robotech has also introduced their own Giddel Portable Toilet Cleaning Robot, which has similar features like scanning and collision detection.

More Robots for Automated Chores on the Horizon?

With internet technology becoming increasingly advanced, people are sure to find a way to automate more chores with smart devices.

Already, companies are envisioning robotic beds that straighten up the covers for you automatically. Meanwhile, companies are refining smart fridge technology so that even your grocery shopping is taken care of without your intervention . This raises the question about whether we are set to become too dependent on technology---but that's a discussion for another day.

For now, if you're looking for more ways to turn your house into a smart home, take a look at these useful smart devices that are worth every penny .

• Buyer's Guides
• Smart Appliance

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Could you make a robot that "does" homework for you.

Okay, so I know that having a robot do homework isn't exactly possible or the best idea. However, I was wondering if you could make a robot that does handwriting on a paper for you? You could design a font with your handwriting and then simply scan a document, write in your handwriting font, and then have a robot write where you wrote in pencil? Would this be possible? Is there anything like it?

This AI-powered robot has worked out how to solve a Rubik's Cube in just 0.305 seconds

Footage shows the record-breaking TOKUFASTbot solving a Rubik's Cube so fast that it appears to happen in a single move. But in reality, advanced AI is helping it rapidly turn the puzzle's colored panels in an imperceptibly fast sequence.

A Japanese robot has solved a Rubik's Cube in world record time, thanks in part to artificial intelligence (AI) that helps it to distinguish between the puzzle's colored panels, new footage shows. The entire process happens in less time than the blink of a human eye .  

The record-breaking robot, "TOKUI Fast Accurate Synchronized Motion Testing Robot" (TOKUFASTbot), was created by Japan's Mitsubishi Electric Corporation to help improve factory automation equipment used in electronics production. 

It has six arms connected to a multi-axis motor and a high-speed camera, both of which are connected to an industrial computer . The system is capable of turning each arm 90 degrees in just 0.009 seconds, Mitsubishi representatives said in a statement .

On May 21, TOKUFASTbot solved a rotating 3x3x3 "puzzle cube" in 0.305 seconds, setting a new world record, according to Guinness World Records . The previous record time was 0.38 seconds, which was set by an MIT robot in 2018 . For comparison, a human blink takes between 0.1 and 0.4 seconds, according to Harvard University's bionumbers database .

The new record is around 10 times quicker than the record for a human solving the puzzle — 3.13 seconds, set by Max Park in June 2023 . 

In the Mitsubishi video, which uses slow-motion cameras to show the robot in action, TOKUFASTbot solved a puzzle cube even faster — in 0.204 seconds — on May 7 using around 15 moves. However, this attempt did not adhere to the "measurement rules" set out by Guinness World Records so it does not count, Mitsubishi representatives wrote in the video's YouTube description.

Related: 32 times artificial intelligence got it catastrophically wrong

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Due to a historic trademark that was recently overturned, the cubes used in record attempts are simply referred to as puzzle cubes, Ars Technica reported . However, the objects are almost certainly all Rubik's Cubes — the iconic toys created in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and architect Ernő Rubik, who took a month to solve the first cube (largely because it had no colors).

Solving the Rubik's Cube, which has more than 43 quintillion possible combinations, is a great test of dexterity and computing power. As a result, robotics engineers have been competing to see how quickly their creations can complete the puzzles.

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Apart from the speed of the machinery, the main limitation is how quickly the robots' computer systems can process information. But TOKUFASTbot excels in this area thanks to an AI system that helps it distinguish between the colors on the cubes' panels by factoring in minute changes caused by positioning, lighting and shadows that can trip up a standard color sensor, Ars Technica reported.

Just like humans, the hardest colors for AI's to distinguish between are red and orange because the wavelengths of these colors are closer together than any other color combination, Ars Technica reported. However, TOKUFASTbot's AI was able to quickly overcome this problem.

Harry is a U.K.-based senior staff writer at Live Science. He studied marine biology at the University of Exeter before training to become a journalist. He covers a wide range of topics including space exploration, planetary science, space weather, climate change, animal behavior, evolution and paleontology. His feature on the upcoming solar maximum was shortlisted in the "top scoop" category at the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) Awards for Excellence in 2023. 

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