Robotics - Machines so Advance that are replacing Humans

If you look at the field of robotics today, you can say robots have been in the deepest oceans, they've been to Mars, you know? They've been all these places, but they're just now starting to come into your living room. Your living room is the final frontier for robots.  

 ~ Cynthia Breazeal

Year 2017 the start of the highly dubious yet regularly and famously predicted robot takeover?… just check out our coverage of CES 2017 and you may notice their increased development. although boiling under the surface for the last few years, artificial intelligence has truly come to light in products across the technology spectrum, from automotive to headphone design. this increased level of smartness has not only resulted in ultra intelligent, human-like robots, but also more clever tools and down right playful toys. from impressive demonstrations to product announcements and even momentous occasions as robots are being recognized with country citizenship, 2018 will be sure to take another giant leap for robot-kind.
Continuing out Top 5 round ups of 2018-2019, we look back at ten robotic and artificial intelligence stories robots that brought a huge change into our day to day life.

1.) Hanson robotics sophia

 

Created by hanson robotics, ‘sophia’ the robot made her debut at the south by southwest show in march 2016 and since then has become somewhat of a media personality — having spoken at the united nations and appeared on the jimmy fallon show. she can animate a full range of facial expressions, and is able to track and recognize faces, look people in the eye, and hold natural conversations. in 2017, saudi arabia announced that it is giving citizenship to ‘sophia’, making it the first country in history to do so for a robot. on the achievement, ‘sophia’ had this to say, ‘I am very honored and proud for this unique distinction. this is historical to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with a citizenship.’

Speaking at the 2017 future investment initiative in riyadh, sophia demonstrated her quick wit, when questioned about the threat of artificial intelligence. ‘you’ve been reading too much elon musk and watching too many hollywood movies,’ retorted the robot. ‘don’t worry, if you’re nice to me, I’ll be nice to you. treat me as a smart input output system.’ elon musk shot back replying on twitter: ‘just feed it the godfather movies as input. what’s the worst that could happen?’.

2)  Mayfield Robotics Kuri

Mayfield robotics unveiled the intelligent ‘kuri’ robot at the CES 2017 trade show in las vegas. characterized by personality, awareness, and mobility, the robot is said to ‘add a spark of life to any home’. the smart bot can understand context and surroundings, recognize specific people, and respond to questions with facial expressions, head movements, and unique sounds. sourcing the many beloved robots of popular culture like R2-D2 and WALL-E, this mechanical buddy can also be defined by its adorable personality and extraordinary connectivity abilities.

‘for generations, people have dreamed of having their own personal robot in the home, and we’ve been focused on making that dream more of a reality,‘ said sarah osentoski, COO and co-founder of mayfield robotics. ‘we’re proud to introduce kuri to the world and can’t wait to see how he touches the lives of everyone, ranging from parents and children to early technology adopters.‘

3) Sony AIBO

Sony announced the release of its latest robotic dog, ‘aibo’. this evolution of the autonomous robot can ‘form an emotional bond with members of the household while providing them with love, affection, and the joy of nurturing and raising a companion,’ sony says. featuring a dynamic range of movements and eager responsiveness, the puppy bot also develops its own unique personality as it grows closer to its owners. it uses ultracompact 1- and 2-axis actuators to give its compact body the freedom to move along a total of 22 axes.

as the robot pup spends time with his owners, it also becomes more aware of its environment, learning to walk around an increasingly wider area and respond to a variety of situations. this adaptable behavior is made possible through inbuilt sensors that can detect and analyze sounds and images. aibo also comes with fish-eye cameras that allow it to lead its life in close conjunction with its owners, changing over time, maturing and growing into a one-of-a-kind companion.

4) Stanford University Snake Robot

Stanford university researchers have developed a snake-like robot that grows like a vine by squeezing through hard to reach places. the sole aim of the prototype is to act as a search and rescue device, moving through rubble and small openings in order to reach trapped survivors by delivering them water. the snake starts as a rolled up inside out tube with a pump on one end and a camera positioned on the other side. once initiated, the device inflates and grows in the direction of the camera, while the other side stays the same.

The body lengthens as the material extends from the end but the rest of the body doesn’t move,’ says elliot hawkes, lead author of the paper. ‘the body can be stuck to the environment or jammed between rocks, but that doesn’t stop the robot because the tip can continue to progress as new material is added to the end.’

The robot’s ability to itself to lift a 100-kg (220-lb) crate off the ground, spin around to create a free-standing structure, and squeeze through a gap just a tenth of its own diameter, has proven to researchers that it is a project worth developing. the significance of this research is the robot’s possible function in disaster relief or other emergency operations. at present, the prototype is made from cheap plastic, but researchers are planning on a newer model which would use tougher materials such as kevlar. it has been claimed that they could also grow using pressurized liquid instead of air, letting them deliver water to trapped people or to put out fires.

5) Festo Octopusgripper

Just like an octopus has no hard skeleton and is made almost entirely of soft muscle, festo has applied this concept to soft robotics. the resulting creation is the ‘octupusgripper robotic’ arm—a flexible, silicone structure fitted with two rows of suction cups, just like its natural model. the ‘octopusgripper’ robot is the latest work of the company’s ‘bionic learning network,’ a series of robot’s that use biology as a model, copying the grip mechanisms of different animals. once compressed air has been applied and the tentacle curls inwards, it wraps around the object in question in a gentle—if a little creepy—manner, where a vacumm is used to its suction cups.

festo’s octopusgripper can be pneumatically controlled. apply compressed air and the tenticle curls inwards, wrapping around the object in question in a gentle—if a little creepy—manner. as soon as the tentacle has curved itself around the object, a vacuum is applied to the suction cups, meaning the octopusgripper literally suckers onto it for grip that won’t let go.