Photo by: UAH
AUTONOMOUS ROBOTS CAN
ALSO SAVE LIVES
Science is doing everything in its power to bridge the gap between humans and robots. The students of University of Alabama in Huntsville( UAH) and their adviser have built an autonomous robot that has managed to grab a lot of attention.
There are a lot of robots out there, so what is so special about the robot? The project that they are developing teaches the robots the way they will control themselves in certain environments. These robots function primarily like driverless cars.
Dr. Farbod Fahimi, along with mechanical engineering graduate Sai Susheel Praneeth Kode and his research assistant, Tevon Walker, an undergraduate Computer
Engineering Major, has been working on the project for more than one year.
They have written a code and inserted it into the robot which will make the robot function. The robot has a GPS system to be able to detect its surroundings. It is supposed to function in an unfamiliar environment without any kind of assistance from you. You just let it do the task. That’ s it; but it can be operated by a remote control if you desire.
The robot is so smart that it can detect the surroundings and report about its conditions to you. That way, it can also cut off human element when it is not required.
At present, the robot is working according to the inputs that they are giving but they are unsure as to how accurate the robot executes the code. However, what is amazing about this robot is that this has the capability to adjust its error automatically. Somehow, their robot fixes a problem that their makers cannot fix.
This robot is definitely opening up new opportunities in the field of autonomous robots. With time, these kind of robots will come out of the laboratory and find its place in the hands of the military and emergency response where they are needed the most.
JULY 2016 Future Cities & Robotics
25