You can’t make a large humanoid domestic robot without breaking a few eggs, and in this way, GigaAI’s SeeLight S1 almost succeeds. This doesn’t break the eggs, but it seems to bend the rules of good cooking skills, producing some of the worst scrambled eggs and tomatoes I’ve seen in a while.
SeeLight S1 attempts this kitchen adventure during a lengthy YouTube demo video in which the new humanoid robot – unveiled on May 20 – roams (having no legs is probably one of its best features), around an apartment in China and handles a wide range of home care tasks.
The robot cooks, cleans, organizes, does laundry and even folds clothes. I’m not saying he does all these things well.
The robot, worth $28,000 (roughly the equivalent of one yen), has a human-like torso and articulated legs bolted to a rolling base. The hands are a pair of claws attached to arms that look more like industrial robot frames than anything human.
Look on it
He begins his day by preparing what looks like tofu reheated and served in the microwave, then quickly moves to a kitchen counter where he cuts the tomatoes into very large eighths; having no mouth, he may not understand “bite size”.
Next, SeeLight S1 prepares scrambled eggs, starting with two pre-boiled eggs in a bowl. They are performed quickly, but it is also evident that most of the video associated with these tasks has been sped up. So we don’t know how long it will take the robot to do anything.
The robot oils the pan then randomly cooks the scrambled eggs before adding the tomatoes. The eggs looked overcooked and the tomatoes undercooked. No matter, this robot served them. I’ve also seen it over-fry an egg with only slightly more success.
Later, SeeLight S1 did some laundry. The strange thing is that it seemed to take dry clothes out of the dryer and then transfer the same four pieces into the washing machine. It was not a convincing demonstration.
The robot is also shown with the family in the apartment, where the mother asks the robot to fetch what they need to leave and start their day. He turns around and grabs bags, backpacks, clothes and a hat. In fact, the hat appeared on the robot’s head.
According to numerous reports, GigaAI’s robot is expected to be tested in Chinese homes by 2027. GigaAI hopes to cut the price in half by 2028, and hopefully by then, SeeLight S1 will know how to make eggs properly.
The need is real
Why create humanoid robots, especially if they cannot accomplish many of these so-called frontier tasks as quickly or better than a human? One day, having such robots could become an absolute necessity,
China’s population would shrink and age. There are fewer babies and more aging people. It’s a story playing out all over the world, and it’s one of the reasons why countries like China and Japan are trying to accelerate home care and humanoid robots like the SeeLight S1.
GigaAI SeeLight S1 may not be that impressive at the moment. Still, it is likely imperative that the situation improves over the next decade, as millions of people may soon need help managing their homes and possibly caring for elderly loved ones who cannot care for themselves.
