Artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence in machines that programmed to think and act like humans. The machine associated with a human mind such as learning and problem-solving. The ideal characteristic of artificial intelligence is its ability to take action for the best chance of achieving a specific goal. The goals of artificial intelligence are based on learning, reasoning, and perception. Machines use a cross-disciplinary approach based on mathematics, computer science, linguistics, psychology, and more.
Key points
- AI is the simulation of human intelligence in machines.
- The aim of artificial intelligence includes learning, reasoning, and perception.
- AI is used across different industries including finance and healthcare.
- Weak AI tends to be single-task oriented and strong AI is more complex and human-like.
AI Robots
Robotics is a domain in artificial intelligence with the study of creating intelligent and efficient robots. Robots are the artificial agents for the real-world environment. Robots manipulate the objects by perceiving, picking, moving, modifying the physical properties of objects, destroying it, or having an effect thereby freeing manpower from doing repetitive functions without getting bored, distracted, or exhausted. It is a branch of AI composed of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Computer Science for designing, construction, and application of robots. The robots have mechanical construction designed to accomplish a particular task with power and control of the machinery. They contain some level of a computer program that determines what, when, and how a robot doing things.
Difference in Robot System and AI Program
Here is the difference between the two −
AI programs operate in computer-simulated worlds. The input of the AI program is in symbols and rules. They need general-purpose computers to operate the programs.
Robots operate in the real physical world. The Inputs to robots is in analog signal in the form of speech waveform or images. They function with special hardware with sensors and effectors.
Robot Locomotion
Locomotion is the mechanism where the robot is capable of moving in its environment. There are various types of locomotions
- Legged
- Wheeled
- Combination of Legged and Wheeled Locomotion
- Tracked slip/skid
Legged Locomotion
This type of locomotion consumes more power while doing walk, jump, trot, hop, climb up or down, etc. It requires several motors to accomplish a movement. It is suited for rough and smooth terrain wherein irregular or too smooth surface it consumes more power for wheeled locomotion. Sometimes it is a little difficult to implement because of stability issues. It comes with a variety of legs that is two, four, or six legs. Leg coordination is necessary for locomotion which has multiple legs.
Gaits is a periodic sequence of lift and release events for each of the total legs. The total number of possible gaits where a robot travel depends upon the number of its legs. If a robot has k legs, then the number of possible events N = (2k-1)!. There are six possible different events −
- Lifting the Left leg
- Releasing the Left leg
- Lifting the Right leg
- Releasing the Right leg
- Lifting both the legs together
- Releasing both the legs together
In the case of k=6 legs, there are 39916800 possible events. Hence, the complexity of robots is directly proportional to the number of legs.
Wheeled Locomotion
It requires fewer number of motors to complete a movement. It is easy to implement with less stability issues in case if there is more number of wheels. It is more efficient as compared to legged locomotion. The Standard wheel rotates around the wheel axle and the contact. The Castor wheel rotates around the wheel axle and the offset steering joint. Swedish 45o and Swedish 90o wheels rotate around the contact point, around the wheel axle, and the rollers. Ball or spherical wheel is the Omnidirectional wheel which is difficult to implement technically.
Slip/Skid Locomotion
The robot is steered by moving the tracks with different speeds in the same or opposite direction. It has stability because of the large contact area of track and ground.
Components of a Robot
Robots are constructed with the following −
- Power Supply − The robots are powered by batteries, solar power, hydraulic
- Actuators – It converts energy into movement.
- Electric motors (AC/DC) – Motors are required for rotational movement.
- Pneumatic Air Muscles contract almost 40% when air is sucked in them.
- Muscle Wires contract by 5% when an electric current is passed through them.
- Piezo Motors and Ultrasonic Motors are the best for industrial robots.
- Sensors provide knowledge of the real-time information on the task environment.
Computer Vision
This is a technology of AI in which the robots can see. Vision plays a crucial role in the domains of safety, security, health, access, and entertainment. It automatically extracts, analyzes, and comprehends useful information from a single image or an array of images. This process accomplishes automatic visual comprehension.
Hardware of Computer Vision System
This involves Power supply, Image acquisition devices such as camera, processor, software, a Display device, accessories such as camera stands, cables, and connectors
Tasks of Computer Vision
- Optical Character Reader is a software to convert scanned documents into editable text, which accompanies a scanner.
- Face Detection comes with this feature, which enables to read the face and take the picture of perfect expression.
- Object Recognition is installed in supermarkets, cameras, high-end cars such as BMW, GM, and Volvo.
- Estimating the Position of an object to the camera as in the position of the tumor in the human body.
Application of Computer Vision
- Agriculture
- Autonomous vehicles
- Biometrics
- Character recognition
- Forensics, security, and surveillance
- Industrial quality inspection
- Face recognition
- Gesture analysis
- Geoscience
- Medical imagery
- Pollution monitoring
- Process control
- Remote sensing
- Robotics
- Transport
Applications of Robotics
The robotics has been instrumental in the various domains such as −
- Industries − Robots are used for handling material, cutting, welding, color coating, drilling, polishing, etc.
- Military – It reaches inaccessible and hazardous zones during the war. A robot named Daksh, developed by DRDO used to destroy life-threatening objects safely.
- Medicine – These robots carry hundreds of clinical tests simultaneously, rehabilitating permanently disabled people, and performing complex surgeries such as brain tumors.
- Exploration − These robots used for space exploration, underwater drones used for ocean exploration.
- Entertainment − Disney’s have created hundreds of robots for animated movies.
FUTURE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Artificial intelligence is changing the future virtually in every industry and with every human being. AI acted as emerging technologies like big data, robotics and will continue to act as an innovator in the future. How to employ machine learning and computer vision for detection and classification of various events. For example, IFM’s software automatically detects safety violations and notifies warehouse managers to take immediate action. The main aim is to prevent accidents and increase efficiency.
AI’S IMPACT IS EVERYWHERE
Some sectors start their AI journey and some are veteran travelers. Both have a long way to go in this vast technology. The impact of the artificial intelligence is present in our day lives is hard to ignore:
Transportation: Autonomous cars will one day ferry us from place to place.
Manufacturing: AI-powered robots work like assembly and stacking, and predictive analysis of the sensors keep equipment running smoothly.
Healthcare: AI helps to diagnose diseases more quickly with the virtual nursing assistants, monitor patients, and big data analysis to create a more personalized patient experience.
Education: Textbooks are digitized with the help of AI.
Media: Bloomberg uses Cyborg technology to help to make a quick sense of complex financial reports. The Associated Press employs the natural language abilities of Automated Insights which produce 3,700 earning reports stories per year.
Customer Service: Google is working on an AI assistant to place human-like calls to make appointments.
“I think anybody making assumptions about the capabilities of intelligent software capping out at some point are mistaken,” said David Vandegrift, CTO, and co-founder of the customer relationship management firm 4Degrees.
Most Promising AI Innovations on the Horizon
Many new technological innovations are changing our lives, but artificial intelligence presents the most exciting changes. Recent improvements have made the technology much more adaptable. It is easy to predict a world in which artificial intelligence plays a more significant role in our daily lives AI is going to change almost every aspect of daily life.
Self-driving cars are the beginning to make their way on the roadways in the coming years. The U.S. Department of Transportation has started making regulations about how to use AI-driven vehicles. They have designated three levels of self-driving vehicles, at the lowest level with Google’s version of the vehicle which requires a human driver at the wheel. The goal is to create an automated self-driving car to be much safer. Logistics companies and public transportation services are looking to AI technology to create self-driving trucks, buses, taxis, and planes.
AI and Robotics Will Come Together
AI technology into robotics able to enhance our strength, longevity, and endurance. For Example, cybernetics helps us to enhance the healthy bodies, and the application of this technology is aimed to help the disabled people. Those individuals amputated permanent paralysis has a much higher quality of life. Cybernetic limbs communicate with the brain is useful as natural limbs. In the future, artificial limbs can become stronger, faster, and more efficient.
AI Create Fully Functional Robots
AI technology expected to create artificial lifeforms. Science fiction suggested the concept of human-like robots that are capable of complex interactions with humans. As the field of robotics advances and AI technology, robots will be useful in a variety of ways. They can take dangerous jobs and do work which poses health risks to people. Even today, drones and robots are performing welding and hazardous tasks, typically controlled by the remote.
AI Technology Change Our Lives on a Personal Level
AI applications will fulfill the tasks that computers make our lives easier and happier and also help us to conserve time, energy, and money.
Virtual Assistant
Many people use AI-driven personal assistants. Amazon’s Echo and Alexa currently offer more virtual assistants to choose from. Currently, they provide information, such as a weather report, and order services. They used to control smart home devices from the stereo to the thermostat. It will anticipate the needs and fulfill them without the need to give them instructions in the future. For instance, virtual assistants have fresh steaks delivered to the home every Thursday.
Face Will Become Your ID
Many in the tech industry anticipate AI-driven applications allowing machines to recognize people face to complete transactions. Your credit cards and driver’s license linked to individual faces, allowing pattern recognition devices to know faces instantly. This makes everyday transactions more efficient, saving us from having to wait in line at the bank.
Receive Better Medical Care
AI to help doctors diagnose to treat patients. Devices can measure blood sugar levels for diabetics and transmit data to the patient’s doctor. Devices are in use that measure heart rate, respiration, and other vital functions. AI helps patients to better understand their care options and communicate more effectively with their patients.
AI Responses More Empathetic
Internet users have seen the effect of the artificial intelligence when they visit a website with a chatbot. Chatbots were pre-programmed to give specific answers to all inquiries. AI software allows chatbots and virtual personal assistants to research any question and provide answers. AI-driven devices analyze speech or actions to interpret the needs which offer more insightful information. It provides the best human-device interactions possible.
Caring for Children and the Elderly Easier
Devices are able to care for the supervision and robots care for the child or elder parent. This free up the time and prevent them from needing to move into an assisted living facility. Elders and children stay at home while the robot performs functions to keep the individual healthy and safe from any harm. This is one of the most anticipated applications for artificial intelligence.
Hollywood May Become Obsolete
Spotify and Pandora use AI to create stations to exclusively play favorite music. The applications analyze our interests and draw them to create music and show digital performers.
Artificial intelligence continues to evolve with these innovations to overshadowed by greater advancements. While there’s no way to know how far AI technology will become an integral part of our lives. We often use AI-driven technology without even realizing it.
Robots with AI
Heasy, an interactive robot kiosk, is embedded with AI
The retail industry is becoming automated. It believes that robots are dangerous for our society and make humans obsolete. The reality is far less dramatic in the retail world. Tech companies are developing smart robots. One such innovation is done by the French robot manufacturer, Hease Robotics.
The company’s robotic solution, called Heasy, is a mobile kiosk used in shopping centers, train stations, or airports. This autonomous robot is designed to guide customers and will navigate safely through crowded environments without bumping into people or objects. The machine is battery-powered and operates for eight hours on a single charge. Besides serving as a welcome and information hub. Shops use it to promote their products to take surveys. Compared to traditional kiosks, Heasy robots will generate 20 times more interactions. 85% of people interacted with Heasy were satisfied with the service provided by the robot.
BrickBot learns how to assemble Lego structures
Things are looking better for the industry as more innovations enter the market. The San Francisco-based firm AI Lab showcased its robotic solution, dubbed BrickBot. BrickBot can learn and act by itself. The robot adapts and act accordingly by the understanding environment.
BrickBot started in 2016 not fully completed by the company showed for making progress. BrickBot robot used Legos to assemble a skyscraper model. Sensor data and machine learning were able to learn different shapes and sizes over time. Thus robots identified and picked only the Legos necessary to assemble the structure.
AI-assisted surgery provides better precision
The applications for AI and robotics go beyond automating dull and repetitive administrative tasks. The world witnessed the first super-microsurgery operation completed using robot hands. The surgery was not entirely performed by a robot, of course, but Microsure only assisted a human; but the operation was carried out on a patient with lymphoedema, proved to be a success. Microsure’s hi-tech system enables surgeons to use robotic hands to suture vessels as small as 0.3 millimeters (0.01 inches) in the arm of a patient.
The system consists of two robotic arms controlled by a human surgeon. The surgeon’s hand movement is performed by the robot. The team at Microsure believes their innovation could be used on complex surgical interventions, such as tissue reconstruction. Now, doctors can perform surgery with better precision and fewer complications.
Vector, the most adorable robot on the market
The U.S. robotics firm Anki created a domestic robot called Vector to add fun and enjoyment to our daily routines. Vector is a small and autonomous companion equipped with a camera and embedded with machine learning technology. The robot will not vacuum your floors or take out the garbage. It will serve as an adorable addition to your household work.
If you’ve always wanted to have a pet at home and were not allowed to own any pet, then Vector will be the right solution for som people. Vector moves through the home and create a 3D map of its surroundings and detect obstacles. It will recognize faces and respond in their own way. If you call the robot, Vector will activate and turn to you for the service and listen to further commands. Similar products installed with Google Assistant or Alexa capabilities, Vector is embedded with its voice assistant and can ask for a weather forecast and the robot will respond in a second. With further improvements to its software, Vector could detect if no one is at home and turn off the lighting to save energy.
The world got its first robot citizen
Robots are great in assisting humans and maintain dominance. One robot, in particular, stands out. Her name is Sophia already achieved a lot and became the world’s first robot citizen. she has also spoken with distinguished political figures and has attended conferences around the world.
Developed by Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics, this robotic can smile, laugh, and express emotions like a human. Sophia will give you the right answer. The robot programming uses cutting-edge machine learning to recognize faces and detect different hand gestures. The design was inspired by the classic beauty of the actress Audrey Hepburn. Sophia could be a useful education and medicine. She could assist teachers and provide one-on-one instruction to students. The robot is equipped with powerful AI.
AI robots will soon teach English in Japanese schools
Schools in Japan have been struggling to find qualified English teachers. This encouraged the Japanese government to develop a project to use AI robots to teach students English. It will be used in 500 schools across Japan. Robots will help students to improve their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Such technology is very useful in remote areas where schools do not have enough teachers.
“As globalization develops, it is assumed that communication skills in foreign languages will be required not only in businesses and careers but in all kinds of situations over a lifetime,” said Taichi Kaneshiro, from Japan’s Ministry of Education.
Conclusion
Both AI and robotics have concepts just a few years ago, are a reality today. Robots are becoming smarter with AI technology. Despite this alarming potential, the chances will be wiped out by robots in the future. Instead of fearing these innovations people embrace them as to prevent the ongoing advancement of technology.
