Pollen Robotics' VR-Controlled Humanoid Robot

Pollen Robotics generated significant interest at the previous year’s CES event. It’s understandable – a humanoid robot is certain to attract attention at a trade show (even in a partially assembled state). The French company is participating in this year’s event as well (to the extent that widespread attendance is occurring), and has introduced important improvements to its robot, Reachy.

The most significant development this time around is the implementation of remote control capabilities through a virtual reality system. A remote operator, utilizing a VR headset, can view footage from the robot’s two front-facing cameras. The robot’s arms can then be controlled using VR controllers to perform actions like picking up and moving objects. This feature can be employed for purposes such as instructing the robot to complete specific tasks.

Reachy is distinguished by being an open-source robotics system. The $17,000 robot is a viable option for robotics research, including the development and testing of new technologies. As demonstrated at last year’s show, it also serves as an engaging demonstration robot, similar in function to robots like Softbank’s Pepper. However, it is not expected to replace human workers in manufacturing roles in the near future.

The robot’s software is based on the widely used open-source robotics operating system, ROS 2. Both the integrated computer and the cameras have received upgrades since the robot was initially presented around this time last year.