#USA #Humanoid Robot #Peking #Care-bot #Fourier GR-3

Introducing the GR-3: A Companion Beyond Functionality

In a groundbreaking announcement, Fourier has unveiled the GR-3, its first full-size "Care-Bot" and the latest addition to its humanoid series GRx. This innovative robot is not merely focused on functionality; it emphasizes the importance of emotional bonding and connection between humans and machines, redefining how these interactions are approached.

A New Era of Human-Centered Robotics

The GR-3 represents a significant advancement over traditional robots that prioritize functionality above all. Fourier’s fresh concept of a "Care-Bot" aims to establish connections and serve humanity in diverse roles, from social companion to service assistant. Designed to engage positively with people in various public settings, the GR-3 can provide comfort to children or act as a caring presence for the elderly.

The vision extending for GR-3 includes future applications in healthcare, such as aiding mobility, monitoring health, and supporting physical rehabilitation in elderly care and clinical environments. Essentially, it brings Fourier closer to realizing a robot that does not just perform tasks but actively cares for individuals.

Design: Soft, Approachable, and Human-like

Diving into its design, the GR-3 deviates from conventional robotic aesthetics, opting instead for a softer, more lifelike appearance. The warm, neutral colors, cushioned surfaces, and automotive-grade upholstery create a friendly and welcoming presence, ideal for daily interactions. Standing at 165 cm tall and weighing 71 kg, the GR-3 boasts 55 degrees of freedom, allowing for fluid, human-like movements. Its compact, modular design integrates essential sensors and processing units, maintaining an uncluttered look while supporting its functions effectively.

Highlights of its design include balanced limb proportions, graceful movements, and an animated facial interface aimed at making users feel at ease and building trust.

Equipped with a hot-swap battery system and smart energy management, the GR-3 ensures continuous operation around the clock, making it suitable for real-world environments.

Emotional Interaction with Multimodal Perception

At the heart of the GR-3 lies the proprietary Full-Perception Multimodal Interaction System by Fourier, combining visual, auditory, and tactile feedback into a seamless emotional processing unit. The robot employs advanced attention management to dynamically prioritize sensory inputs, resulting in smooth and natural human-like reactions.

Acoustic and Visual Recognition

The listening capabilities of the GR-3 are enhanced with a four-microphone array facilitating omnidirectional voice activation and precise sound source localization. During interactions, the GR-3 maintains eye contact with the speaker, promoting more natural communication.

Additionally, its RGB and structured light camera module ensures reliable face detection and dynamic tracking, allowing the robot to keep users engaged within its expressive visual field.

Tactile Feedback and Emotional Response

With 31 distributed pressure sensors, the GR-3 can detect touches in real-time. Coupled with animated micro-expressions—such as blinking and eye-tracking—this robot can respond to touches with lifelike social signals, creating a more immersive interaction experience.

The GR-3 is also designed to interpret emotions, recognize intentions, and respond with awareness, bridging the gap between perception and meaningful connection.

A Versatile Assistant Built for Support

Coming beyond emotional intelligence, the GR-3 showcases superior hardware and character-driven movement that facilitate intuitive and lifelike interactions with people. Based on market feedback and training data from previous models, the entire structure of the GR-3 has been redesigned to offer increased flexibility and a more compact form.

It is fitted with Fourier’s high-performance actuators and 12-DoF finger hands, capable of supporting tasks ranging from interaction to navigation and assisting in practical needs. With versatile movement capabilities, the GR-3 can switch between a standard gait supporting bending and squatting or a lighter, springy walk for dynamic scenarios.

Fourier also emphasizes the developer experience, designing the GR-3 as a platform for embodied intelligence, which supports various third-party algorithms and applications. A client-server architecture allows researchers and engineers to easily adapt the robot's functions to real-world environments, while upcoming interaction APIs aim to lower the barriers for personalized, emotionally engaging applications.

Conclusion: A Step Forward in Humanoid Robotics

The GR-3 represents a significant leap in Fourier’s efforts to integrate robots into human environments. Each design component, from hardware architecture to software framework, centers around a critical question: Will a robot truly be accepted in a human context?

As Fourier’s most ambitious response yet, the GR-3 extends beyond technical prowess, crafted to support meaningful engagement across various real-life settings, from public services and academic research to clinical applications and eventually personal spaces. This robot is designed to serve humanity, adapting to evolving needs and complex environments.