25 best real robots

CB2

CB2 is short for “child-robot with biometric body”, and was built to simulate child development, in order to better understand the process by which an infant learns. It’s capable of realistic movement and vocalisation, sense via sight, sound and touch, and has a full set of soft, human-like skin. And it’s almost adult-sized, so basically it’s a huge creepy robot baby. Someone get Haley Joel Osment on the phone.

Mandi Go

This 13-inch tall chap is a breakdancing phenomenon, performing the sort of loose-limbed moves more suited to the streets of the 1980s Bronx than your living room floor. So get some lino laid down and watch him do his thing… once you’ve shelled out the US$1,000 price tag, of course.

SnackBot

SnackBot simply trundles the hallways of Pittburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University offering tasty foodstuffs to faculty members and students. This helpful android uses laser navigation, sonar and two cameras (arranged like eyes) to navigate through the corridors and recognise people. The only downside? Its scarily emotionless HAL 9000-style voice.

RoboNaut 2

Not everyone aboard the International Space Station is a human. Take RoboNaut 2 (or “R2” as he’s affectionately known), the first humanoid robot to enter space: he’s up there to help out the crew by performing tasks too deadly – or more often too boring – for a person. He’s not quite Data from Star Trek, but his inclusion on the team is one giant leap for robot-kind.

Toyota robot violinist

Attempting to show how robots could be performing basic household tasks, Toyota had this cyberman play “Land of Hope and Glory” on the violin. While technically perfect, we can’t help but feel that this robot’s performance lacks