Hi Folks,
With IBM Watson playing on the game show Jeopardy, I thought this article
would be appropriate for a game list.
How do we get IBM to create a Jeopardy game so you play against Watson?
I got the final Jeopardy question correct last night and Watson didn't!
Meet the Future: 10 Robots on the Rise
Researchers Developing Machines for Medicine, Military, Education and More.
By KI MAE HEUSSNER
Feb. 16, 2011
ABCNews
As impressive as it to watch IBM's super computer Watson hold its own
against the game's all-time greats, that's just one high-profile example of
ongoing efforts in the science community to advance the field of smart
machines.
The robots of our sci-fi fantasies aren't here yet, but researchers are
getting close.
Artificial intelligence and robotics researchers around the world are
developing machines with applications for medicine, education, space
exploration, the military and even sex.
Take a look at 10 of the most promising robots below.
Robo Therapy Could Help Stroke Patients
Welcome to robo rehab.
New research shows that robots could help stroke survivors improve arm and
shoulder function by moving a patient's paralyzed arm in various
pre-programmed directions. Earlier this month, researchers from Japan's
Kitasato University East Hospital in Kanagwa presented their findings at the
American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference, according to
the American Heart Association. In the study, 40 patients who had recently
suffered a stroke received standard therapy daily from an occupational
therapist. Thirty-two patients also underwent robotic therapy, while the
other participants spent the same amount of time on a self-training program.
The patients receiving robotic care improved more than the patients in the
self-training program, the study found.
Robot Priest Weds Couple
Last May in Japan, one couple's wedding got the high-tech treatment when a
robot priest presided over the ceremony. The I-Fairy robot, manufactured by
Kokoro Co., became the first robot to lead a wedding ceremony.
The robot's voice and speech can be controlled by connecting it to a PC and,
in addition to speaking, the I-Fairy can make gestures and dance, the
company says.
But if you want to feature it at your next event, it will cost you: the
I-Fairy's price tag is about $75,180.
The Education of Simon
Remember Rosie, the sweet robotic housekeeper, from the cartoon series "The
Jetsons"?
Technology aren't too far away from a robot who could handle itself in a
home.
In Georgia Tech's Socially Intelligent Machines Lab, researchers have
developed "Simon" -- a machine with the very human ability to learn.
On her blog, Andrea Thomaz, one of the lab's lead researchers, wrote that
she is working on "social learning machines," not so unlike Star Wars' R2D2
or C3PO (and, of course, Rosie).
"These machines are general purpose, they co-exist with people in a human
culture and successfully interact in human environments," she wrote. "And
importantly, they have the ability to learn about their environment and new
challenges that arise by interacting with the people around them."
If you want to follow Simon's progress, you can check him out on his own
blog. In addition to detailing his latest activities, he (not so humbly)
describes himself.
In answering the question "What do I look like?" he writes: "Exceptionally
cute, of course!"
Could a Robot Give Your Kids Detention?
Apples certainly won't work on this kind of teacher.
Researchers in Japan are working on a robot that could lead a classroom of
children. "Saya," who was tested in a classroom of fifth and sixth graders
in a real Tokyo classroom last year, can call roll, smile and scold,
according to the Associated Press. Her specialty is the ability to express
six emotions -- surprise, fear, disgust, anger, happiness and sadness --
thanks to rubber skin manipulated by motors and wiring around the eyes and
mouth.
Robot Waiters Deliver Food in China
Flirting with this waiter won't get you a round of drinks on the house.
while circling the room on a conveyor belt-type system, the AP reported in
December.
Each robot includes a motion sensor so that they stop as customers reach for
plates of food.
More than a dozen of the robots, which cost about $6,000 each, act as
receptionists, entertainers, servers and greeters. The restaurant's owner,
Zhang Yongpei, told the AP that he hopes to boost his robot count to 30 and
introduce robots that can serve customers at their tables and walk up and
down the stairs.
Computerized Help Cleans Your Home
These guys don't have flashing eyes, they can't talk to you and won't serve
you food, but they're already a welcome addition in homes around the world.
Since introducing the Roomba cleaning robot in 2002, iRobot has sold more
than 5 million units, the company said.
And buoyed by the success of the original Roomba, iRobot has also rolled out
a whole series of practical robots, including the Scooba floor-washing robot
and the Verro pool-cleaning robot.
The robots, which cost in the $300-$600 range, automatically move around and
clean up a designated space once turned on.
Mobile Robots Help Keep Soldiers Safe
iRobot isn't just developing robots for the home.
The company has partnered with Boeing to develop small tactical mobile
robots that can help keep soldiers and public safety professionals safe.
The SUGVs are small, unmanned ground vehicles with cameras, audio equipment
and other sensors that can be remote-controlled to find IED (improvised
explosive devices) in a war zone or other threats in a public safety
situation.
The rugged robots can climb stairs and roll into areas that are inaccessible
or too dangerous for people.
A Giant Step for Robokind
When the Space Shuttle Discovery blasts off for the International Space
Station later this month, the first space-bound humanoid robot will go along
for the ride.
R2 could be used for simple, repetitive or dangerous tasks, NASA says on its
site. For example, without changing the current design, the robot could
change out an air filter. But the 300-pound machine could also work
alongside humans in a GM plant on earth.
In the future, the robot could help humans explore the final frontier by
scouting out other planets, such as Mars, or asteroids.
High-Tech Sex
Some robots are ready for even the most intimate tasks.
In January 2010, Douglas Hines, an electrical engineer and computer
scientist who formerly worked on artificial intelligence at AT&T Bell
Laboratories, unveiled his latest creation: Roxxxy, a "sex robot" from the
company Truecompanion.com.
"It's really a labor of love," Hines told ABCNews.com at the time, adding
that it cost between $500,000 and $1 million and took about two-and-a-half
years to create.
Customers interested in a Roxxxy companion can ask the company to customize
the robot for their personal preferences. To create a robot that looks and
acts like an ideal mate, customers fill out a questionnaire to give
engineers clues about the robot's personality.
Though the prototype robot is modeled after a Caucasian fine arts student
and is 5 feet 7 inches tall and 120 pounds, customers can choose hair color,
eye color and other features, Hines said.
Honda's Humanoid Robot Can Run, Recognize Faces
Someday, this robot might help you around the house or take care of an older
family member.
Honda's Asimo, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, was
first developed as a helper in 1986 and has developed by leaps and bounds
since. According to the company, it's the "World's Most Advanced Humanoid
Robot."
Now the 4-foot robot can run at a speed of almost 4 mph, follow simple voice
commands and recognize faces with camera eyes.
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