Recent robots act and look like humans

Robots are the main feature in countless sci-fi movies. They are usually extremely intelligent, resilient and, sometimes, eerily indistinguishable from flesh-and-blood humans. On the contrary, current generations of the robots are crude attempts at imitating those in the movies. Robots in use today are often bulky instruments used for industrial manufacturing. There are some, however, that are being produced which aim to resemble the intelligent machines portrayed on the big screen.

             Recently, Aldebaran, a robot-making company based in France, created a new breed of robots. These robots are called NAO robots and their appearance is roughly human-like. The robots are two feet tall with a plastic covering. Their main body contains joints which allow the robot to move its body with 25 degrees of freedom. The sheer number of movable joints in the robot allows a closer imitation of human movements. To allow NAO to see, a sensor network is integrated into the robot: two cameras and a sonar rangefinder allow depth perception and sight. Tactile and pressure sensors even allow the robot the feeling of touch. They work by allowing the robot to detect an object and apply the appropriate forc

e to manipulate the object. Finally the robot is even capable of talking through its voice synthesizer and speakers. All of these components are then controlled by two CPUs—one in the head, and another in the body—which run on a Linux operating system.

             The NAO is also capable of human gestures such as kissing and greeting others. Therefore, to build on the success of NAO, Aldebaran plans to release Romeo—an improvement on the concepts embodied in NAO. Romeo will be a five-foot tall robot, in a closer imitation of the human form, and programmed to work with and care for older people. The creation of Romeo is representative of the robotic industry as a whole. The focus of the robotic research and industry has shifted its focus to the production of robots that can collaborate with humans as peers.

             With the turn of the century, there are more robots in use than in previous generations. These robots are often located in factories and assembly lines; crude machines that apply brute force to manipulate materials or speedy instruments designed to match the necessary outputs. Moreover, the 1999 manufacturing guidelines for industrial robotics state that the robots should not have the need for constant human supervision.

             These notions are now being overturn. In current society, researchers and companies believe that newer generations of robots should work with rather than independently of humans. The drastic deviation from the 1999 guideline is apparent in their description of the roles for robots. In their eyes, robots will someday become caregivers, guards, and eventually replace human labor.

             To allow the robots to take over mundane tasks, scientists are creating new designs. First, the robots are made to resemble humans. The human-like appearance of the robot will allow an easier integration of robots into society. In addition, the integration of human limbs is important for the manipulation of certain items such as handles and doors designed for human use. New algorithms are also being developed, which will allow robots to process a larger influx of information from new and better sensors. The new algorithm will enable longer operating times and improved processing, allowing the robots to work longer in more chaotic environments.

             Despite the successes in the robotic industry thus far, there are still challenges facing the future development of more advanced robots. Scientists still struggle to mask the machine-like, jerky movements of androids. Also, the attempts at creating artificial intelligent (AI) are failing. The AI algorithms are capable of limited independent decision making and learning, making robots currently unsuitable for work environments where independent thinking is crucial. The prospect of humans working with robots is tantalizingly close yet still just out of reach.