<![CDATA[There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs.]]>There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. Every other form factor is cheaper, more stable, more efficient, and easier to maintain.

There is, however, a very good marketing reason: everyone’s watched Terminator, fear goes viral, and anxiety drives attention.

A warehouse robot is infrastructure.

A humanoid robot is an engagement strategy…

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/1ee9cea9-ceef-4e48-ac8d-0bc415edf1ad/there-s-functionally-no-engineering-reason-to-put-a-robot-on-two-legs.RSS for NodeMon, 25 May 2026 10:03:49 GMTWed, 20 May 2026 03:51:07 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 18:45:05 GMT]]>@Daojoan well, uh, you've got an excellent point there about the fear aspect of duplicating the look of the Terminator or other villainous robots from popular entertainment, but...uh...having spent too much time on Twitter (in previous years) in mudfights with Elon Musk fanboys, let me add that they're also hopeful for humanoid sexbots. there's such a tremendous overpressure of sexual desperation in that crowd...

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://seattle.pink/ap/users/115855847980876292/statuses/116608382085997090https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://seattle.pink/ap/users/115855847980876292/statuses/116608382085997090Wed, 20 May 2026 18:45:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 14:58:37 GMT]]>@bit @Daojoan Legs are going to cost a lot more than wheels.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/stevenally/statuses/116607491580665922https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/stevenally/statuses/116607491580665922Wed, 20 May 2026 14:58:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 14:22:54 GMT]]>@Su_G @Daojoan I don't mind Michael Jackson turning in his grave. Might be worth keeping that robot around just for that purpose.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://ohai.social/users/bit/statuses/116607351175789263https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://ohai.social/users/bit/statuses/116607351175789263Wed, 20 May 2026 14:22:54 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 13:20:08 GMT]]>@BackFromTheDud @Daojoan

Mammals account for 0.06% of species on this planet. Being the only biped among such a trivially small group is hardly noteworthy.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://sciences.social/users/jmcclure/statuses/116607104342118283https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://sciences.social/users/jmcclure/statuses/116607104342118283Wed, 20 May 2026 13:20:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 13:12:19 GMT]]>@fluchtkapsel @n_dimension @Daojoan I'll just leave this here... https://store.steampowered.com/app/3526710/Everything_is_Crab_The_Animal_Evolution_Roguelite/

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/115758366037627508/statuses/116607073599715784https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/115758366037627508/statuses/116607073599715784Wed, 20 May 2026 13:12:19 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 11:56:50 GMT]]>@Daojoan Humans are the only mammal that walks upright on two legs. Humans are not natural to this planet. Discuss.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/BackFromTheDud/statuses/116606776808739430https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/BackFromTheDud/statuses/116606776808739430Wed, 20 May 2026 11:56:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 11:51:08 GMT]]>@bit @Daojoan well or like Daleks (who are of course Mechanical Turks) eventually learn to levitate.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.linux.pizza/users/marjolica/statuses/116606754380818142https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.linux.pizza/users/marjolica/statuses/116606754380818142Wed, 20 May 2026 11:51:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 11:38:44 GMT]]>@bms48 @bit @Daojoan

That I do not understand. ‘Tilting’ is lowering your lance. A chimp could lower a lance. 🙂

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://masto.ai/users/chemoelectric/statuses/116606705603625411https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://masto.ai/users/chemoelectric/statuses/116606705603625411Wed, 20 May 2026 11:38:44 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 11:36:11 GMT]]>@Su_G It is fascinating to watch how four-legged animals turn, once you know they are walking in a circle!

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://masto.ai/users/chemoelectric/statuses/116606695586156162https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://masto.ai/users/chemoelectric/statuses/116606695586156162Wed, 20 May 2026 11:36:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 11:23:03 GMT]]>@uecker @Daojoan
(stares in wheelchair accessibility)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.ie/users/dec23k/statuses/116606643948697773https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.ie/users/dec23k/statuses/116606643948697773Wed, 20 May 2026 11:23:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 11:19:44 GMT]]>@chemoelectric @bit @Daojoan Hence the expression "tilting at windmills".

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116175731239673526/statuses/116606630937062900https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116175731239673526/statuses/116606630937062900Wed, 20 May 2026 11:19:44 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 11:11:51 GMT]]>@Su_G Of course, he may have learnt it from whoever taught him Judo.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://masto.ai/users/chemoelectric/statuses/116606599941180205https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://masto.ai/users/chemoelectric/statuses/116606599941180205Wed, 20 May 2026 11:11:51 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 11:10:39 GMT]]>@Su_G I learnt it from one or more of Moshe Feldenkrais’s books. It is obvious once pointed out, though.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://masto.ai/users/chemoelectric/statuses/116606595189222805https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://masto.ai/users/chemoelectric/statuses/116606595189222805Wed, 20 May 2026 11:10:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 10:15:59 GMT]]>@bit @Daojoan

There is another reason that should be obvious but isn’t, because for some reason we are never taught this when we are kids.

Of all large creatures, the human has the tightest turn radius.

(All they did was teach us how we were physically inferior blah blah blah. Meanwhile we had easily the tightest turn radius of all creatures. Even a chimp cannot turn as tightly. It is something very worth replicating in machinery.

A dog has to walk in a circle.)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://masto.ai/users/chemoelectric/statuses/116606380270666297https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://masto.ai/users/chemoelectric/statuses/116606380270666297Wed, 20 May 2026 10:15:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 10:14:39 GMT]]>@justcameheretosay after the marathon 😂 @Daojoan

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/connynasch/statuses/116606374988268714https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/users/connynasch/statuses/116606374988268714Wed, 20 May 2026 10:14:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 10:03:21 GMT]]>@Daojoan

I always cringe at illustrations of “office AI assistants”. Humanoid robots who look at a big monitor and does input using a keyboard and mouse. JUST USE THE USB-C CONNECTOR ALREADY!!!

Of course, they are almost always white and the female bots have nice boobs. So infantilising.

Sarah Connor’s biggest mistake was failing to develop military grade glue guns. The first robot uprising would have been too sticky to do much damage 😁

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://beige.party/users/airwhale/statuses/116606330572695753https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://beige.party/users/airwhale/statuses/116606330572695753Wed, 20 May 2026 10:03:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 09:01:51 GMT]]>@Daojoan

Link Preview Image
Benk Holiday Weekend (@TheBreadmonkey@beige.party)

Attached: 1 video New Michael Jackson movie looks lit

favicon

beige.party (beige.party)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116580791604418261/statuses/116606088741232258https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116580791604418261/statuses/116606088741232258Wed, 20 May 2026 09:01:51 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 08:03:59 GMT]]>@ehproque @Daojoan

Good point!

In my most authoritative , though uninformed voice I will assert that's because;

a) Balance software not so good
b) Faster
c) Claws/Hooves can attack while relatively stable.

Human "forelimbs" evolved for grasping.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/n_dimension/statuses/116605861224352081https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/n_dimension/statuses/116605861224352081Wed, 20 May 2026 08:03:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 07:59:24 GMT]]>@n_dimension @Daojoan there must be a good reason for most mammals to be four legged

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://neopaquita.es/users/ehproque/statuses/116605843194645912https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://neopaquita.es/users/ehproque/statuses/116605843194645912Wed, 20 May 2026 07:59:24 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 07:50:11 GMT]]>@Daojoan a lot of the engineers take ideas from fiction as well : )

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/ap/users/116602769754277214/statuses/116605806963947338https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/ap/users/116602769754277214/statuses/116605806963947338Wed, 20 May 2026 07:50:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 07:44:27 GMT]]>@Daojoan There is one reason. Robots will often have to work in a space designed by humans for humans, so they will need to mimic humans. Big companies have the money to create infrastructure that fits robots better. China has entire factories run by robots, where they work 24/7 with lights off. Amazon has warehouses that are completely flat, and riddled with guidelines and tracks on the floor. Not every company will have such infrastructure, so they'll need robots that can climb stairs instead.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://ohai.social/users/bit/statuses/116605784364129887https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://ohai.social/users/bit/statuses/116605784364129887Wed, 20 May 2026 07:44:27 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 07:38:17 GMT]]>@Daojoan Those gizmos that open greenhouse windows wider depending on temperature/sunlight are pretty cool (and purely passive, with no "intelligence" at all)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/muddle/statuses/116605760135258986https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/muddle/statuses/116605760135258986Wed, 20 May 2026 07:38:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 07:32:02 GMT]]>@Daojoan A bipedal design is hardly efficient for what we're trying to use robots for today.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.nu/users/rollspelosofen/statuses/116605735546763129https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.nu/users/rollspelosofen/statuses/116605735546763129Wed, 20 May 2026 07:32:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to There’s functionally no engineering reason to put a robot on two legs. on Wed, 20 May 2026 07:21:37 GMT]]>@Daojoan
There is an interesting mixture of videos with ridiculously failing androids...
and astonishing abilities of others.
In one sort they look harmless and acceptable clumsy, even adorable mainly because of their human shape.
In another way they look very ..useful.

None of this should distract from their frighteningly rapid development.
None of this should distract from the question of who could benefit from their future capabilities and mass production.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://troet.cafe/users/grootinside/statuses/116605694588593222https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://troet.cafe/users/grootinside/statuses/116605694588593222Wed, 20 May 2026 07:21:37 GMT