California Startup Unveils 'Taku,' a Robot Designed for Everyday Chores
The humanoid robot aims to handle full workflows without human supervision, tackling tasks like laundry and stocking shelves.
Redwood City, California-based Dyna Robotics has introduced Taku, a semi-humanoid robot designed to perform everyday tasks autonomously. Named after the Japanese word for "master of a craft," Taku is intended for use in environments like hotels, restaurants, and warehouses, where it can handle labor-intensive workflows from start to finish.
Taku is capable of a range of chores, including loading washing machines, folding towels, chopping vegetables, and stocking shelves. The robot stands about as tall as an average adult and is designed to operate within human-centric spaces. Its arms have seven degrees of freedom and can move at near-human speeds.
The company emphasizes that Taku's key innovation is its ability to complete entire tasks without requiring constant human oversight, a common limitation of existing robots. "If a human still has to feed the robot, clear it, reset it, and fix everything that goes wrong, then the robot hasn’t completed a whole job," said Lindon Gao, CEO of Dyna Robotics, in an announcement video. He added that customers desire a robot that can "actually get things done end to end."
Instead of walking on two legs, Taku utilizes four steerable wheels, a design choice the company believes is more practical for its intended work. To demonstrate its capabilities, Dyna Robotics released an unedited, hour-long video showcasing Taku managing an entire hotel laundry room independently. The footage shows the robot navigating between machines, reaching into dryers, and stacking items.
Beyond laundry, Taku is also shown performing tasks such as servicing hardware and retrieving items from a refrigerator. The company has not yet disclosed details regarding production numbers or pricing for the Taku robot.