
via NTU Singapore
Using a brain-inspired approach, scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a way for robots to have the artificial intelligence (AI) to recognise pain and to self-repair when damaged.
The system has AI-enabled sensor nodes to process and respond to ‘pain’ arising from pressure exerted by a physical force. The system also allows the robot to detect and repair its own damage when minorly ‘injured’, without the need for human intervention.
Currently, robots use a network of sensors to generate information about their immediate environment. For example, a disaster rescue robot uses camera and microphone sensors to locate a survivor under debris and then pulls the person out with guidance from touch sensors on their arms. A factory robot working on an assembly line uses vision to guide its arm to the right location and touch sensors to determine if the object is slipping when picked up.
Today’s sensors typically do not process information but send it to a single large, powerful, central processing unit where learning occurs. As a result, existing robots are usually heavily wired which result in delayed response times. They are also susceptible to damage that will require maintenance and repair, which can be long and costly.
The new NTU approach embeds AI into the network of sensor nodes, connected to multiple small, less-powerful, processing units, that act like ‘mini-brains’ distributed on the robotic skin. This means learning happens locally and the wiring requirements and response time for the robot are reduced five to ten times compared to conventional robots, say the scientists.
Combining the system with a type of self-healing ion gel material means that the robots, when damaged, can recover their mechanical functions without human intervention.
The breakthrough research by the NTU scientists was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Communications in August.
Co-lead author of the study, Associate Professor Arindam Basu from the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering said, “For robots to work together with humans one day, one concern is how to ensure they will interact safely with us. For that reason, scientists around the world have been finding ways to bring a sense of awareness to robots, such as being able to ‘feel’ pain, to react to it, and to withstand harsh operating conditions. However, the complexity of putting together the multitude of sensors required and the resultant fragility of such a system is a major barrier for widespread adoption.”
Assoc Prof Basu, who is a neuromorphic computing expert added, “Our work has demonstrated the feasibility of a robotic system that is capable of processing information efficiently with minimal wiring and circuits. By reducing the number of electronic components required, our system should become affordable and scalable. This will help accelerate the adoption of a new generation of robots in the marketplace.”
Robust system enables ‘injured’ robot to self-repair
To teach the robot how to recognise pain and learn damaging stimuli, the research team fashioned memtransistors, which are ‘brain-like’ electronic devices capable of memory and information processing, as artificial pain receptors and synapses.
Through lab experiments, the research team demonstrated how the robot was able to learn to respond to injury in real time. They also showed that the robot continued to respond to pressure even after damage, proving the robustness of the system.
When ‘injured’ with a cut from a sharp object, the robot quickly loses mechanical function. But the molecules in the self-healing ion gel begin to interact, causing the robot to ‘stitch’ its ‘wound’ together and to restore its function while maintaining high responsiveness.
First author of the study, Rohit Abraham John, who is also a Research Fellow at the School of Materials Science & Engineering at NTU, said, “The self-healing properties of these novel devices help the robotic system to repeatedly stitch itself together when ‘injured’ with a cut or scratch, even at room temperature. This mimics how our biological system works, much like the way human skin heals on its own after a cut.
“In our tests, our robot can ‘survive’ and respond to unintentional mechanical damage arising from minor injuries such as scratches and bumps, while continuing to work effectively. If such a system were used with robots in real world settings, it could contribute to savings in maintenance.”
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Self repairing robots
- What is the benefit of making robots out of ice?on January 19, 2021 at 1:24 pm
That’s the idea behind IceBot, a very preliminary attempt at building robots with frozen water. The people behind IceBot, Devin Carroll and Mark Yim from the University of Pennsylvania’s GRASP Lab, ...
- The latest wild idea for space exploration? Robots made from hunks of iceon January 19, 2021 at 6:00 am
Instead of building robots here on Earth and then sending them to distant planets, some say we should build the robots on those planets with found materials ...
- The era of robots is here News Todayon January 16, 2021 at 1:18 am
Drones robots and autonomous systems could transform the natural world in and around cities for people and wildlife says a new study led by Leeds University. The study involving over 170 experts was ...
- IEEE RAS Soft Robotics Podcast with Hod Lipson: Can we design self-aware robots?on January 13, 2021 at 7:37 am
Interesting discussion with Hod Lipson, head of Creative Machines Lab, Columbia University in New York. Can robots be self-aware? Can they design other robots and self-repair? Why should we evolve ...
- A robot made of ice could adapt and repair itself on other worldson January 13, 2021 at 6:15 am
Some of the most tantalizing targets in space exploration are frozen ice worlds. Take Jupiter's moon Europa, for instance. Its warm, salty subsurface ocean is buried under a moon-wide sheet of ice.
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Self repairing robots
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Robots recognise pain and self-repair
- How Computer Vision Technology Will Redefine the Shopping Experienceon January 14, 2021 at 11:48 pm
In an interview, Eran Shlomo, CEO of Dataloop explains how computer vision in retail can help retailers eliminate the biggest brick-and-mortar pain points and redefine the in-store shopping experience ...
- Walmart Gives Up On Stock-Checking Robotson January 14, 2021 at 4:00 pm
We’ve seen the Jetsons, Star Wars, and Silent Running. In the future, all the menial jobs will be done by robots. But Walmart is reversing plans to have six-foot-tall robots scan store shelves ...
- Roborock S6 MaxV review: the robot vacuum you need to haveon January 13, 2021 at 7:58 am
Of course, mopping up was always a pain after a ... is its capability to identify objects. As a first, it features a dual-camera and with the help of ReactiveAI, the robot is able to identify ...
- ForwardX launches six new autonomous mobile robotson January 13, 2021 at 3:00 am
ForwardX Robotics has launched six new products under its Max range of autonomous mobile robots: Max 300 Lift Lite, Max 300 Conveyor, Max 600 Conveyor, Max 1200 Standard, Max 1200 Lift, and Max ...
- Getting the right grip: Designing soft and sensitive robotic fingerson January 7, 2021 at 2:06 am
However, conventional sensors compromise the mechanical properties of soft robots. Now, scientists at Ritsumeikan University, Japan, design a 3D printable soft robotic finger containing a built-in ...