Roomba is made by iRobot, Massachusetts. IRobot is one of several companies that jointly plan to launch a series of new robots in the next few years. Guangdong Machinery processing plant will soon launch new products robots, including automatic floor cleaners and industrial tools, to engage in boring, dirty and dangerous work, such as inspecting oil wells. Of course, the autonomous oil well inspectors do not vibrate as much as the machine servants predicted. Although it is still not very attractive, artificial intelligence and robots are entering daily life.
Rodney Brooks, director of the artificial intelligence laboratory and chairman of iRobot, is involved in this decade of change. His new book "flesh & machines" focuses on robots on many topics related to life. Brooks' passion for creating what he calls "situated creations" is at the heart of this book, and "situated creations" is what we later regard as our teachers and companions.
Rodney Brooks MIT Laboratory is full of robots, from mechanical legs to robots with human characteristics. Guangdong Machinery processing plant uses human like expression and action, relying on human robot interface. Brooks argues that it is controversial for people to accept the life of robots. The first generation of ordinary machines has been abandoned by the laboratory. Rodney Brooks has his thoughts on the future of post PC: sensors and microprocessors should be installed in cars, offices and homes, and be used for information retrieval in jacket pocket through various speech and action interfaces, as well as for communication and doing all kinds of things. He insisted that in the age of intelligence, mobile machinery had begun to appear. You just need to know where to find them, or in oil wells, medical laboratories, financial services, or construction companies.
Military & national defense application
Now iRobot has built a robot under the contract of the U.S. Department of defense, which is the size of a suitcase, can climb stairs, ditches, and can survive three floors underwater. Unlike a robot carrying a bomb, it has eyes and ears and transmits what it sees and hears over a radio connection. This is "Packbot.". It can be used to skim into a vehicle and force it through the window of a house where an enemy might be dormant.
Precision machining generally speaking, robot systems attract the interest of the Department of defense, because they have the ability to conduct long-distance military actions, so that dangerous tasks do the least harm to people. DARPA is the central research and development organization of the Ministry of defense. DARPA's "distributed robotics program" aims to cooperate with qualified companies to develop micro, biologically inspired robot design and new robot control methods for military applications. DARPA is particularly interested in micro robots because they can be made at a lower unit cost and offer a unique mission. They can be used to implement and expand in the form of individual and group, to enhance human ability, carry out dangerous tasks, and complete tasks never imagined. Potential applications include surveillance, reconnaissance, investigative approaches, deception, weapons delivery and small-scale start-up. In order to detect minefields, small sensors are installed on the hopping feet of robots. Small robots can be sent to the city pipeline to collect information. Large scale use of robots can serve as camouflage. Tiny micro robots can be injected into the keyhole to unlock the lock.
Due to the fact that micro robots are similar to small animals and insects, they are inspired by physiology (jumping, climbing, climbing, grass, etc.), and the application of memory devices and intelligent materials, precision machining provides the possibility of novel and unique mobile devices. Memory technology makes it possible to integrate mechanical and electronic functions on a single silicon chip. Advanced microelectronic packaging uses multi chip module and mixed signal, which brings new ideas for development and combines the form and function of remote control. Robots for military use are either completely controlled by human beings, semi autonomous or autonomous. Precision machining in order to make micro robots work in different environments for a long time, we need new methods to reduce power demand, control energy utilization and provide fast charging.