IO-AI Tech in Shenzhen uses VR workers to train humanoid robots

In short: In Shenzhen, IO-AI Tech is using people in VR gear to remotely control humanoid robots and record their actions as training data.

What's going on

IO-AI Tech, a startup based north of Shenzhen, China, is having workers wear VR headsets, handheld controllers, and motion-tracking gear to control humanoid robots from a distance. VR, short for virtual reality, is a headset that shows a digital view and lets you interact with it, like being “inside” a video game.

The robots are meant to do practical jobs in places like factory floors and convenience stores. Examples include stocking shelves and picking items out of bins. The setup is similar to a puppet show, except the puppet is a full-size robot and the puppeteer is wearing a headset.

At the same time, the company is collecting “training data,” meaning recordings of what the human did and how the robot moved. This kind of data can later be used to teach software to copy the same actions. The goal is that robots may eventually handle more tasks on their own, which is often called operating autonomously, meaning without a person controlling each move.

What to watch

A key question is how quickly this approach can move from demos to regular work, and whether the robots can do enough tasks reliably to be worth the cost. Another thing to watch is how workplaces use these systems, since remote control can still shift who does the work and where it happens.

Source: Wired