In robotics, it is common to see impressive videos of devices performing a single specific action, but in a real work environment everything is far more complicated. If the probability of success for each individual step of a robot is 95 percent, then the probability of completing an entire cycle of 79 consecutive actions without human intervention drops to just 1.7 percent. This clearly shows that performing one movement and servicing an entire work process are completely different problems.
Dyna Robotics has unveiled the Dyna-2.1 system and the Taku semi-humanoid robot, which was specifically designed to carry out long work cycles. In a presented one-hour continuous video, the robot moves independently around a hotel laundry, loads towels into a washing machine, selects the necessary program, then transfers the wet linens to a dryer, and in the end folds the dried towels and stacks them on shelves.
Taku's main advantage is that it works without a pre-written rigid script. The washing and drying machine cycles do not finish at the same time, so the system is forced to make decisions on its own along the way. For example, if the dryer finishes its work while the towels are being folded, the robot stops its current task, empties the machine, and then returns to the previous assignment. During testing, engineers also created artificial obstacles, but Taku was able to correct errors independently and continue working.
The upper part of the device and its two arms are human-sized, which allows it to easily reach high shelves or deep drums. Instead, a four-wheeled chassis has been used in place of walking legs, since on the flat floor of a laundry, wheels provide much greater stability.
This demonstration is an important step in robotics, as the emphasis is finally shifting from individual impressive tricks to the automation of real, long work processes. The laundry example shows that modern systems are already capable of navigating unpredictable situations and independently correcting their own errors.
However, one hour of uninterrupted work still does not mean full readiness for mass use. In real manufacturing or services, equipment is required to operate uninterruptedly for weeks and months. Therefore, in the near future the main question will be how economically justified and reliable such robots will be during long-term operation.
