In 2024, robots demonstrated enhanced creativity and usefulness.

Robots are no longer confined to the realm of science fiction—they are now part of our everyday lives.

In 2024, developers have taken robotics to new heights of ingenuity.

Brave Robotics’ humanoid robot, ‘Firebarion,’ has the appearance of a character straight out of a Hollywood Transformers movie.

Meanwhile, in China, a humanoid robot has been created to resemble Su Shi, one of the country’s greatest and most revered poets.

South Korea’s tech giant, LG, has even developed an AI-powered robot capable of crafting original stories based on pictures drawn by users on a tablet.

But robots have also taken on more serious roles this year.

In the UK, a team of surgeons performed pioneering robot-assisted surgery on a child for the first time. At Southampton Children’s Hospital, a UK trial is underway for the Versius Surgical Robotic System, a cutting-edge, robotic-assisted device.

Seven-year-old Reece, who had suffered an accident at the park, was diagnosed with an obstruction in his kidney that blocked urine flow. Surgeons used a remote-controlled robotic arm for a procedure known as laparoscopic pyeloplasty.

“On the outside, instead of a straight handle, you have something that resembles a joystick. It’s still fully surgeon-controlled. Robot-assisted might sound automated, but it’s actually under the surgeon’s control,” said Ewan Brownlee, a consultant pediatric urologist at University Hospital Southampton.

In Edinburgh, the National Robotorium experimented with robots to aid stroke recovery. A brain-computer interface (BCI) detects brain activity, allowing the robot to respond in real-time, mimicking the movements the patient attempts to make. This could provide a more affordable form of physiotherapy.

“What we’ve found is that once patients realize they are controlling the robot, they feel a sense of control and a feeling that the robot is exercising with them, almost like a partner,” says Professor Lynne Baillie, professor of computer science at Heriot-Watt University.

In a trendy Nairobi neighborhood, a new dining experience attracted a crowd. Robots helped serve customers at the Robot Cafe, East Africa’s first of its kind.

Three robots worked alongside human waiters, with the owners emphasizing that the technology was not meant to replace employees but to create a unique experience for customers. “We believe customers deserve access to the technology seen in developed countries, giving them an experience that isn’t available locally. The robots are for entertainment, as that’s what our target customers want,” said John Kariuki, manager at Robot Cafe.

Robotic waiters are not a new concept—similar technology has already been used in countries like China, Japan, and the United States.