Getting
a new gadget is always exciting, but there’s always a bit of learning
curve between the time you unwrap it and have it fully functioning. In
the future, a robot may be able to do the hard part for us.
At the Robot Learning Lab
at Cornell University, researchers are developing a robot that can
learn how to operate machines. Known as The Robobarista, the bot uses a
“deep-learning algorithm” to learn the functionalities of new
technology. Its inner workings are eerily close to how we learn
instructions as human beings.
Robobarista’s
functionality is based on a two-step process. First, the robot feels
the gadget at hand. Then, it scans through its database of known objects
in an attempt to identify the item. Once it has done so, it can learn
how to operate it based on all of the similar items in its database and
the device’s online instruction manual, as well as how it understands
humans’ use of the gadget. “The robot already has seen two or three
coffee machines; it should be able to figure out how to use this one,”
Ashutosh Saxena, assistant professor of computer science, tells the Cornell Chronicle.
In the past, researchers have been able to create robots
that grab specific items. However, Robobarista has the potential to
become the first multifunctional robot, meaning it would interact with
more than just one gadget. Whether you want the bot to open a door or
brew a cup of coffee, it could turn into your most effective helper
around the house.
In an interesting twist, the creators of Robobarista have a section on their website
that invites individuals to teach Robobarista about different objects.
As a result, its database grows, which could make it suitable for more
purposes if it comes to fruition.
Naturally, one the Robobarista’s first lessons was how to brew a latte.
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