“We said, ‘What if we could make something light, attractive and safe, and able to do some exciting things?’ says Robert Cochrane, co-founder and CEO of Fauna, the startup behind Sprout.
The Sprout is available for purchase starting today for $50,000. Cochran says his company is already talking to hotels about using Sprout as a butler that brings toothbrushes and other items to guests in need.
Sprout’s launch is part of a growing industry in the United States. The business of humanoids is booming despite the fact that it is still unclear how practical and useful these systems will be. More than a dozen US companies are working on humanoids, including Boston Dynamics, which recently signed a deal to use Google’s AI in its robots; Tesla, which is developing a system called Optimus; and startups like Agility Robotics, Figure AI, and 1X.
Chinese robot manufacturer Unitri has also had success selling inexpensive humanoids for entertainment and research purposes. Some of Unitri’s humanoids cost less than $20,000. However, when fully equipped with sensors and computers, they cost about the same as Sprout.
Fauna’s first customers include Disney, which already uses robots in some of its theme parks, and Boston Dynamics, which makes a line of legged robots, including larger, stronger humanoids, for industrial use.
Cochran says Sprout is designed to be easy to program, making it especially useful in research settings. The robot comes with software libraries that let it scan its environment, walk autonomously, access language models, and more. The robot can also be teleoperated out of the box, which can be helpful for robot training purposes. Scientists at New York University are using Sprout to research new technologies for robotic manipulation and human-to-robot interaction. The company also says it has developed proprietary technology to help the Sprout regain its balance if it wobbles.
While most humanoid robots are promoted as factory workers, with some already being tested by automakers, Cochrane says Fauna believes the first markets for the robots may be in the entertainment and service industries.
Cochran showed me some interfaces for Sprout, including an app that shows a visual perspective of the robot and a coding interface that can be used to program the system in real time. Unlike most humanoids, Sprout is designed with human interaction in mind, which is why it comes with mechanical eyebrows to express interest, surprise, or confusion.
Cochran previously worked at Meta. Other members of the founding team come from Google. Cochrane notes that AI systems that can identify objects, such as those being developed for smart glasses, will also be useful for robots interacting with human environments.
At one point during the demo, Cochrane asked Sprout to go and check what was in the fridge. The robot interpreted commands using LLM and went to a corner of the office like a 9-year-old child. After peeking through the glass door of the equipment, Sprout turned back to report the existence of several sodas.
Cochrane believes this type of ability could help humanoids advance. “You can have a ‘Hello World’ example of a robot where you can talk and autonomously map and effectively navigate its environment,” he says. “And from there, the world is your oyster.”
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