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January 30, 2026

Not ready for robots in homes? A friendly new humanoid might change your mind

  • Unlike sleek and powerful-looking machines from companies like Tesla, Sprout is designed to be approachable and friendly.
    • By MATT O'BRIEN
    AP Technology Writer

    AP Photo/Seth Wenig [enlarge]
    The robot’s design draws inspiration from beloved science fiction characters like WALL-E, Baymax and R2-D2.

    NEW YORK — As the new robot called Sprout walks around a Manhattan office, nodding its rectangular head, lifting its windshield wiper-like “eyebrows” and offering to shake your hand with its grippers, it looks nothing like the sleek and intimidating humanoids built by companies like Tesla.


     
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