Sunday Robotics
Sunday Robotics - Memo Robot and the Zero Robot Data Approach
Sunday Robotics
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Overview
Sunday Robotics is a startup co-founded by Stanford PhD graduates Tony Zhao (author of the ACT paper) and Cheng Chi (author of Diffusion Policy). They are gaining attention for their innovative approach of training without robot data, using only human motion data.
| Item | Details |
|---|
| Headquarters | San Francisco, CA |
| Founded | 2024 |
| Co-Founders | Tony Zhao (CEO), Cheng Chi (CTO) |
| Funding | $35M (Benchmark, Conviction) |
| Robot | Memo |
Founding Team
Tony Zhao (CEO)
- Stanford PhD
- Author of ACT (Action Chunking with Transformers) paper
- Developer of ALOHA robot system
Cheng Chi (CTO)
- Stanford PhD
- Author of Diffusion Policy paper
- Expert in robotics AI learning
Memo
Hardware Specs
| Item | Specs |
|---|
| Type | Torso-style, wheeled base |
| Height | 1.7m |
| Weight | 77kg |
| Arms | 2× multi-DoF |
| Gripper | Dual |
| Height Adjustment | Floor to 2.1m |
Capable Tasks
- Dish organization and dishwasher loading
- Handling wine glasses (delicate objects)
- Espresso brewing
- Laundry folding
Zero Robot Data Approach
Skill Capture Gloves
Using $200 gloves instead of robot teleoperation:
| Item | Teleop Rig | Sunday Gloves |
|---|
| Cost | ~$20,000 | ~$200 |
| Location | Lab | Real homes |
| Collectors | Experts | ”Memory Developers” |
| Data | Robot motions | Human motions |
Data Pipeline
[Human wearing gloves] → [Performing chores at home] → [Motion data collection]
│
┌───────────▼───────────┐
│ Skill Transform │
│ (Human→Robot motion) │
└───────────┬───────────┘
│
┌───────────▼───────────┐
│ ACT-1 Model │
└───────────────────────┘
Data Scale
| Item | Value |
|---|
| Gloves Distributed | 2,000+ |
| Data Collection Homes | 500+ |
| Household Task Episodes | 10M+ |
ACT-1 Model
Features
| Item | Details |
|---|
| Core Innovation | Zero Robot Data |
| Training Data | Human motions only |
| Combined Features | Manipulation + Navigation |
| Generalization | Zero-shot to new environments |
Software for converting human motion → robot motion:
- Claims 90% success rate
- Human dexterity → Robot gripper mapping
- Includes force/contact data
Deployment Plans
| Timeline | Plan |
|---|
| 2025.11 | Memo launch, beta applications begin |
| Late 2026 | ”Founding Family” beta (~50 households) |
| Current Production Cost | ~$20,000 (handmade) |
| Target Retail Price | <$10,000 (at scale) |
Significance
If Sunday’s approach succeeds:
| Problem | Solution |
|---|
| Data Bottleneck | Large-scale collection via affordable gloves |
| Environment Diversity | Collection in real homes |
| Cost | Home robots under $10,000 |
| Generalization | Zero-shot adaptation to new environments |
References
See Also