Elon Musk has repeatedly promised that Tesla’s humanoid robot revolution is just around the corner. So far, however, his Optimus prototypes seem to spend most of their time mixing cocktails and searching for soft drinks in office breakrooms. Meanwhile, companies like Fourier continue to show off its disconcertingly agile bipedal bot, the N1. Earlier this month, the Shanghai-based manufacturer released a brief look at the N1 (also known as the Nexus-01) performing a quick “Kung Fu Show.” And while it’s unlikely to win any actual martial arts bouts anytime soon, the robot clearly can pull off cartwheels better than many humans.
Fourier originally established itself through advancements in rehabilitation robotics before venturing into more general-purpose, bipedal designs. Its GR series currently includes three iterations, with the roughly 5’4’’, 121-lbs GR-3 tailored for companionship and approachability. In comparison, the N1 is intended as an accessible alternative for developers and researchers looking for a smaller, lighter machine. The N1 weighs less than 84 lbs while standing about four feet tall, and is made from a lightweight aluminum alloy and engineering plastics. A single battery charge gives more than two hours of juice, with the robot reaching a maximum walking speed of nearly 7.5 feet per second.
Although, the N1’s biggest potential draw isn’t the physical stats, but what it offers on the programming side. Fourier intends its new line of humanoids to run on an open-source platform, and already offers its software, blueprints, control parameters, and materials lists online. This accessibility makes it easier for university engineering teams, labs, and even amateur hobbyists to freely collaborate on projects to extend the boundaries of humanoid robotics.
Cartwheels and jumping spins may not be useful on their own, but Fourier’s agility displays that the N1 already features robust hardware framework and advanced algorithms that can be applied to much more consequential tasks. All the bot needs is now some open-source partners in action.
