The context
Where the work begins
Aaron Tan and Angus Fung changed direction after testing humanoid robots in homes and hotels. Customers found the machines too bulky and intrusive. Their startup, Syncere, developed Lume: a floor lamp designed to reveal robotic arms and a camera, fold nearby laundry, then return to lamp form.
The takeaway
What follows
The U of T engineering graduates studied human-robot interaction in Goldie Nejat's lab. Lume uses imitation and reinforcement learning, with motor controls and sensor shutters built into its design. A concept video attracted more than four million views in July 2025; the company subsequently closed a US$3.5-million pre-seed round. Laundry folding is its current focus, with other tasks envisioned for later.
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