We tend to think of robots as highly engineered with huge numbers of complex and expensive parts, but this shows a different path. There may be a future class of plastic robots that are so cheap they are almost disposable.

The more AI develops, the more capable it will become in making these types of robots powerful. Furthermore, as they are 3D printed, individuals may be able to make their own. Perhaps they won’t be as powerful, or last as long, as the expensive metal ones. But if you can print your own at home to do simple tasks, this way of doing robotics could still be popular.

Here’s a video where Robert Katzschmann, the lead developer, shows this in action.

Plastic people! Oh, baby, now you’re such a drag