G.I. Robot, Robot MD, and iRobot - iRobot
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iRobot
When it comes to robotics, iRobot is one of the biggest companies. I will be listing some of their present products and one of their future projects, and if all goes well, AI may stop hanging out in video games, and come to our gadgets.
Presently iRobot is working on projects that range from a cargo hauling robot that uses a robot arm (in collaboration with John Deere) to a series of robotic vehicles that will trundle gear around for the military. These vehicles could cart up to a thousand pounds of gear, all without drivers. Convoys could start recording zero casualties in terms of “humans.” iRobot is most famous for their robotic vacuum cleaner which is pretty good at “vacuuming” and not much else.
Packbot
Similar to the Talon robots made by Foster Miller, iRobot developed a bomb disposal unit (UGV) which has seen action in Afghanistan and Iraq, clearing explosive devices and also searching for terrorists in the caves of Afghanistan.
Swarm
As a precursor of their more serious development of cognitive “thinking” robots, iRobot has done exhibitions of their Swarm series robot that can differentiate between themselves and other robots, split into teams, and form circles around a primary robot.
“Hmm, Upgrades.” -- Keanu Reeves in The Matrix Reloaded
Thinking Robots
Everybody, except certain unions, is okay with the concept of robots replacing humans in highly repetitive and tedious tasks, and even in hazardous tasks. Robots have replaced humans in several aspects of automotive manufacturing, but could robots replace men in tasks that demand thinking processes where complex decisions have to be made?
Already, robots do this on a limited scale; they make decisions concerning manufacturing processes. But a team of European societies not only want robots to make decisions, they also want the robots to learn, and in that way provide companionship for human beings whose habits and locales change. The project is called COGNIRON and is built around several themes including: perception of environment, observation and learning, making decisions, and finally communication and interaction.
The project also aims to develop robots that can read body language so that the robot can tell if a particular activity it is involved in is irritating or pleasing to the human. To do all this on a continuous basis, the robot must be able to learn.
Conclusion
Robot soldiers, robot doctors, robot vehicles, tractors, dumb robots, smart robots, thinking robots and now, robots that can learn. Will the “Information Age” be replaced by an “Age of Robots”? Bucking the tide is not an option. An understanding of robotics, basic and advanced, may be essential for economic and physical survival in the next few decades.
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