The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Robotics
AI takeover
Have you ever heard of a robot uprising? AI takeover is a hypothesis where robots take over control of humans — robots replacing the human workforce, for instance — as artificial intelligence becomes dominant.
Today, robots are becoming more efficient with the help of intelligent automation, which combines AI and robots to automate low-level tasks. This article gives an understanding of the significant role artificial intelligence plays in robotics.
AI Robots
Artificially intelligent robots associate AI with robotics. Although most robots can perform basic repetitive tasks without any need for AI, they may be limited in functionality. To endow robots to perform complex tasks, it is necessary to implement AI algorithms.
Among the possible use cases are a warehouse robot that uses a path-finding algorithm to maneuver around, a drone that uses autonomous navigation to return before the battery runs out, and a self-driving car that uses a combination of artificial intelligence algorithms to steer clear of dangerous situations.
Depending on the tasks that the robot has to perform, different types of AI are used in robotics:
1. Weak Artificial Intelligence
The robots merely perform tasks using predefined commands and responses without being able to interpret them.
Ex: Siri and Alexa.
2. Strong Artificial Intelligence
The robots perform tasks on their own once they are programmed to do so correctly without having to monitor them.
Ex: Self-driving cars, humanoid robots.
3. Specialized Artificial Intelligence
The robots perform only limited tasks that are specified and repetitive.
Ex: Industrial robots.
AI technology used in Robotics
A variety of technologies are used to control AI robots, including:
1. Natural Language Processing
NLP is used for human-robot interaction, where AI robots understand voice commands and interpret them into human language. It also predicts how humans speak, and learn the accent to the point that it is difficult to distinguish robots from humans.
2. Computer Vision
Computer Vision enables robots to see and retrieve information from visual inputs and perform tasks accordingly. It plays a crucial role in healthcare, entertainment, mining, and the military.
3. Edge Computing
Edge computing in robotics is implemented for robot integration, testing, and simulation. It is beneficial for managing data and provides better connectivity.
4. Complex Event Processing
CEP is the understanding of the process of multiple events in real-time. It is primarily used in credit card fraud detection and stock markets.
5. Reinforcement Learning
Reinforcement learning is a method of machine learning used in robotics, where robots learn to interact with the environment through feedback for each action (hit and trial).
6. Affective computing
Affective computing enables robots with emotional intelligence that can identify, interpret, and simulate human emotions.
7. Mixed Reality
Mixed Reality is widely used as a prototyping mechanism for algorithms where it combines both physical and virtual objects.
Integrating AI into Robotics
Artificial intelligence enables robots to perform tasks and take decisions on their own with human-like cognition. With the help of AI, robotics has a significant impact in many fields, including:
1) Healthcare
AI robotics is widely used in the healthcare sector to track patients’ health status and detect minute patterns in the health graph. It also helps in precise diagnosis and remote treatment. Service robots act as a continuous supply chain of medical equipment around the hospital and perform clinical tasks for the patients. Robotic surgeons have become increasingly popular, as there is no need for human intervention — they can carry out hundreds of clinical tests and perform complex surgeries.
Robotics can hence provide high-quality patient care and a secure environment for both patients and healthcare personnel.
2) Agriculture
Agricultural robots — from drones to autonomous tractors — are being deployed in the agriculture sector by performing automated, repetitive tasks such as seed plantation, irrigation, pest control, and harvesting. This will cut down operational costs and labor efforts, and allow agronomists to focus on productive tasks such as improving production yields and quality.
3) Space Exploration
AI and robotics are used in space stations for autonomous flights and voice-controlled navigation. These robots are designed to complete simple tasks in place of astronauts while acting as an early-warning system. NASA has built a humanoid robot that helps astronauts perform various tasks in space and is working on a robot spacecraft with a real-time autonomous navigation system. Similarly, underwater drones are used for ocean exploration.
4) Entertainment
Humanoid robots are remotely controlled or pre-programmed to act as stunt doubles that perform realistic stunts with precision. Disney has employed hundreds of robots for movie-making.
5) Defense
Autonomous robots can approach inaccessible hazardous zones during combat and destroy life-threatening objects safely. They are also deployed in fire support and anti-submarine operations. DRDO’s Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) is a laboratory dedicated to AI, robotics, and control systems.
6) Manufacturing
Robots are employed in various enterprises for repetitive errands that require physical labor, such as material handling, packaging, welding, spray painting, drilling, installing door handles, etc. Moreover, using robotics in this industry increases productivity and lower operational costs.
7) Mining
Mining robots are often employed for robotic dozing, excavation, explosive handling, etc. They use sensors and cameras to detect minerals, gases, and other materials. This is very helpful, as it reduces the risk of humans being exposed to harmful chemicals.
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence plays a prominent role in robotics by integrating AI with intelligent robots. Robotics and AI work well together as they help in automating many processes. In conclusion, AI turned out as one of the most effective solutions in robotics.
