i3 - May/June 2020 - 23

S
OT
USING AI TO IMPROVE

Some cobots (especially industrial
devices) are programmed to handle specific tasks yet they incorporate "learning"
capabilities for self-improvement as they
work with humans. Other cobots are
built around their AI capabilities to learn
how to socialize with humans and
develop the support or assistance features needed in life situations. Through
tools such as 3D vision, a cobot can detect
a human activity such as a hand movement and algorithms control cobots to
coordinate a cooperative procedure, for
example on a production line, in surgery
or helping out with a household chore.
C TA . t e c h / i 3

i3_0520_22-25_Feature_Cobots.indd 23

"Some collaborative robots can be trained by hand, unlike traditional industrial robots which usually require programming via
a teach pendant or other device," explains Jeff Burnstein, president of the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), part of the
Association for Advancing Automation. "We're seeing consumer
robots that can be voice controlled, such as robotic vacuum cleaners," he adds, pointing out the creative interfaces that are taking
shape as cobots learn to collaborate with humans in new business
and personal situations.
Lesley Rohrbaugh, CTA's director of research says, "Consumer
robotics are bringing game-changing innovations to sectors including health care, education, retail and delivery." She adds, "Consumer
robotics are constantly becoming smarter and more capable,"
noting that, "Social robots that can perform a variety of functions
represent a new breed of consumer robotics." Rohrbaugh also cites
hotel concierge robots and health-focused robots helping in-home
senior care and hospitals as part of the social cobot process.
CTA's latest study about consumers' attitudes toward robots found that 81% of respondents are "open to using robots for leisure and
recreation" with an even higher acceptance
among 35-to-54-year olds. The CTA research
found about a quarter of those polled mentioned "fun" and "entertainment." Nearly half
of respondents say they expect that home
robots will make life easier and more
convenient.
Professor Manuela Veloso, who is on leave
from Carnegie Mellon University to head AI
research at J.P. Morgan (the financial collosus),
has pioneered work in "symbiotic autonomy" to
create cobots that ask humans to help them,
such as humanoid assistants that accompany
campus visitors to appointments. She notes that
indoor robots often have limitations, such as
the inability to access Global Positioning
System (GPS) satellites for navigation.
Veloso, who headed the Machine Learning
Department at CMU's School of Computer
Sciences, focuses on services the cobots can
learn from human companions, such as cognitive and perceptual skills. This process has been
incorporated into several social robots, she
explains, pointing out that companion cobots

"Consumer
robotics are
bringing gamechanging innovations to
sectors including
health care, education, retail and
delivery."

MAY/JUNE 2020

23

5/7/20 3:41 PM
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i3 - May/June 2020

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