Build a Robot Like a Human : The Future of Robotics Is Already Here

A robotic newscaster has come closer to reality than ever, thanks to Japanese scientists. In 2014, Kodomoroid read a news segment live on television. After completing his duty as a newscaster, the robot was retired to the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo. Today, the robot helps museum visitors while collecting data for further study. The next step in robot-human evolution is to make a humanoid robot.

Robots are becoming more and more realistic, thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning improvements. In February 2019, an Atlas humanoid robot was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Atlas is equipped with artificial intelligence that allows it to learn on its own, making it incredibly versatile – it can be used as a caretaker or security guard, for example.

As robots become increasingly lifelike and able to perform complex tasks independently, we can expect them to enter mainstream society shortly.

Robo-Cs:

Promobot, the maker of the world’s first autonomous android, has announced the launch of the Robo-C. Robo-C is an android clone with artificial intelligence and over 100,000 speech modules. The robot is designed to act as a companion in the home and help users manage smart appliances while simultaneously performing office functions. It can even answer questions from customers and perform customer service tasks.

The company is building four Robo-Cs, one of which will scan passports for a government service center and another that will look like Albert Einstein. Two Robo-Cs will be created for a family in the Middle East. In the future, Robo-Cs will be used in factories, warehouses, and homes. Isn’t it interesting that their team plans to make robots for several uses, from cleaning floors to delivering groceries?

A collaborative objective has been determined, and both parties have consented to the project. That the robot must perform tasks that are safe and ethical. It must also be able to suggest an outcome schedule. These goals require the integration of a robust knowledge base, as it stores logical statements that can be used as a reference in the robot’s activities. The robots must have the capacity to communicate with other human members.

Robo-Cs are robots that mimic human facial expressions. They are designed to work alongside humans in a safe environment. As these machines become more sophisticated, their abilities will grow. The future of collaborative work will be made possible by the development of humanoid robots. Robo-Cs can work safely and intelligently with humans in various environments.

Uncanny valley theory:

The uncanny valley effect arises when a robot is created to look, move, or behave like a human. Several theories suggest that the uncanny valley phenomenon is integral to our self-preservation instinct. One such theory suggests that we perceive imperfect android expressivity as an immunological flaw. It’s difficult to prove this theory, but it certainly feels intuitive. But the question remains: does it exist?

To avoid this problem, robotics developers often avoid creating robots that look like humans. Others dismiss this theory, claiming that people may fear robots simply because of their power. As long as the robot’s appearance does not look too human, it’s unlikely that its potential human-like qualities will trigger adverse reactions. And even if this uncanny valley is unavoidable, roboticists should ensure their robots aren’t too human-like.

To test the uncanny valley hypothesis, a series of experiments were conducted. In a preliminary study, people were asked to rate how closely a robot looked like a human. If the robot looked like a human, it would be more likely to be liked by them. But if it doesn’t, the results showed a negative correlation. The uncanny valley effect isn’t universal and doesn’t apply to all robots.

Symbol grounding:

Symbol grounding is a theoretical construct based on the asymmetry of experience between humans and robots. Since humans and robots perceive reality differently, symbols have different groundings in our world. Thus, they cannot generate minds on their own. Nonetheless, they share a grounding in the world. This allows us to study robot-human interaction from different perspectives. Here are some implications.

Symbol grounding is crucial for enabling two-way communication between humans and robots.

Symbol grounding is a powerful computational technique for communicating between humans and robots. This technique has been studied for almost three decades. The algorithms used to perform symbol grounding are offline and supervised, allowing robots to understand meanings and contexts. A cross-situational learning-based grounding framework enables robots to learn synonyms with a minimal explicit training phase. It continuously updates mappings as a result of each situation it encounters.

To solve the symbol grounding problem, a robot’s behavior must be similar to that of a human. In the case of a human, the dictionary can help the robot understand the concept of ‘don’t jump to conclusions.’ A robot will gradually learn to relate to human concepts and behaviors and eventually understand English by jumping back and forth.

Lightweight body:

Engineers are working on a robotic body that is as light as possible to build a robot like a human. Although automatic replication of the human body can be complex, engineers are using advanced technologies to replace joints with motors and replicate the bones, muscles, and tendons. Another important consideration in the creation of a robot is its structure. Generative design techniques help engineers reduce the weight of the most critical components of the robot, such as the frame.

Recent advances in cellular structures have shown great promise in creating bionic limbs and soft robotic bodies. However, their lack of structural rigidity limits their use. By contrast, the lightweight body of a robot has been a challenge in its development of a robot. But it has also shown promise in developing flexible fingers and prosthetic limbs. People with disabilities could benefit from flexible fingers on a robot.

Many sensors:

Humanlike robots threaten humankind’s uniqueness, which has historically been the source of adverse reactions. Kaplan’s definition of humanness argued that the existence of such machines challenges our ability to distinguish between human and non-human beings. Recent research by Ferrari, Paladino, and Jetten suggests that the more anthropomorphic a robot looks, the greater its threat to the distinctiveness of humans.

Muecas, a robotic head with multiple sensors, is a prototype of such a device. The robotic head features a variety of sensors and actuators that make it easier to recognize humans in real scenarios. Muecas is a human-like robot with a friendly appearance and a perception system similar to a human. The robotic head features expressive movements associated with natural language, and its sensors can acquire information just as humans do.

What Are Sensors?

Sensors are essential components of robotics. They provide the robot with electrical signals that its controller processes. These signals enable it to interact with the external environment. Standard sensors for robots include video cameras that serve as eyes, photoresistors that react to light, and microphones that act like ears. These sensors help the robot capture its surroundings, process them to the best possible conclusion, and relay commands to additional components.

High intelligence:

Well, did you know that a company called Engineered Arts has been developing a high-intelligence robot that can interact with humans? They have developed a robot called America that looks like a human. It can smile, blink its eyes, and even gasp in shock. It can even scratch its nose and stare at its owner. The company created the robot to test machine learning and artificial intelligence systems. The robot currently cannot walk, run, or jump. However, the team is currently working on the lower body of America.

The development of humanoids is continuing to progress. While it may take a long time to build a fully functional humanoid robot, several companies are working to develop them. Current humanoids lack many features, including artificial intelligence, driving time, and movement. They also look more like machines than humans. Most humanoids will connect to an external cloud for data processing. That means we’ll be able to use them in many ways shortly.

To mimic the development of the theory of mind in children, robots need to mirror the process in humans. A few social robotics researchers have worked on this problem for a long time. Brian Scassellati, a Yale professor of mechanical engineering and cognitive science, pioneered this approach to developing robot mentalization. In his dissertation for MIT, he wrote the foundations for a theory of mind for humanoid robots.

Conclusion:

After reading the above blog, you must have understood that building a robot like a human is not an easy task. The main reason behind this is that people are still scared of robots taking their jobs; hence they aren’t very friendly toward these machines.

However, with the introduction of futuristic technologies, many new developments and prototypes have been made in robotic research and development. One thing we can expect from the years to come is that humans will get used to having robots around them due to their efficiency and approachability.