New humanoid robot from Sanctuary learns faster and costs less than analogues

Canadian artificial intelligence company Sanctuary isn't listed among robotics groups like Boston Dynamics, Agility, Figure and 1X, but it represents the seventh generation of its Phoenix line of humanoid robots.

The recent version of Phoenix added legs, but Sanctuary focuses on the torso and AI system. Company representatives emphasize that the movements of the humanoid robot are similar to those of humans, and the speed with which it can perform tasks is higher.

Most of the tech giants' robotics videos are about mechatronics—specifically, what these robots look like as they navigate the world. However, artificial intelligence is no less important, which is why Sanctuary has focused on this part of its development. The new Phoenix is ​​able to automate new tasks in less than 24 hours, which speaks to its quick learning ability.

“With the seventh generation, we have a system that we believe is the closest to humans available. We see this not only as the cornerstone of AI general intelligence robotics, but also as an important step towards artificial general intelligence, and we are thrilled to lead this movement.”

Jordy Rose, co-founder and CEO of the company

Now the amount of time and consistency Phoenix takes varies from task to task. The ones shown in the demo video are relatively simple in that they appear to be a structured and controlled environment. However, Sanctuary recently announced a deal that will move its systems to Magna Auto's manufacturing facilities.

For the most part, the seventh-generation robot, introduced 12 months after its predecessor, brings additional improvements to the line-up, including increased uptime, improved range of motion, lighter weight and lower-cost material specifications.