The newest humanoid robot on the scene, Sprout, is not designed to carry boxes or stack shelves. Cochran adds that his firm is already talking to hotels about using Sprout as a butler that brings toothbrushes and other items to guests in need. Courtesy of Fauna Courtesy of FaunaCochran says that Sprout is designed to be easy to program, making it particularly useful in research settings. Scientists at New York University are using Sprout to research new techniques for robotic manipulation and human-to-robot interaction. Unlike most humanoids, Sprout is designed with human interaction in mind, which is why it comes with mechanical eyebrows to express interest, surprise, or confusion.