Nowadays, we live in a world of robots. If a few years ago we could only hear such a statement in a movie, today we all know it’s true. Everywhere we turn, technology is an integral part of our daily activities: from the objects we have at home to the car we use every day.
What if robots could physically help us with our activities? Well, you might say that they already do to some extent, and it wouldn’t surprise you much. Now, imagine a bipedal robot that helps you carry groceries or move heavy objects, perhaps during a move. I bet you’re now hopeful. This could really happen.

Google recently presented at the New Economy Summit (NEST) 2016 in Tokyo the bipedal robot, still unnamed, created by the company SCHAFT. The small robot can move on rough terrain thanks to its low center of gravity and an efficient liquid-cooled motor system that allows it to handle more workload. Additionally, it can immediately dodge objects with stability superior to that of a human and can carry up to 60 kg of weight. This excellent design won the last DARPA Robotics Challenge, the humanoid robot competition organized by the US Department of Defense.

Fans of Japanese manga see in the small robot a resemblance to the Patlabor series, and its appearance is already gaining affection. Google emphasizes the technical purpose of the robot’s presentation without revealing anything about potential commercialization.

Mashable, the magazine that first reported on the presentation, ends its article with a thought-provoking statement: “the days of human labor based on muscle are numbered“. If that’s the case, on the one hand, we would be eager to be concretely helped in our most strenuous activities by a small personal assistant. On the other hand, we wonder: what if they were to replace us? Surely, some science fiction movies with more tragic endings are coming to mind…