Robots Play As A Team

Discussion in 'Intelligence & Machines' started by kmguru, Feb 4, 2002.

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  1. kmguru Staff Member

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    NEWS

    ** INNOVATION: Robots Play As A Team

    Think it's tough to get a team of humans here on Earth to work
    together effectively to complete a project? Try managing a team
    of robots a planet away. That's the challenge faced by Paul
    Schenker, supervisor of the mechanical and robotics
    technologies group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
    Pasadena, Calif.

    Two of the lab's robots, working outdoors in a test that
    simulated the deployment of a solar-power station, recently
    managed to autonomously approach, grip, and carry an 8-foot
    container for more than 164 feet. Schenker says it's the first
    time two highly agile robots cooperated and transported an
    extended, coupled object over natural terrain.

    His secret weapon is software dubbed CampOut (Control
    Architecture for Multirobot Planetary Outposts), which lets a
    team of robots jointly detect and track their progress toward a
    goal and coordinate actions in uncertain environments. Schenker
    and his team created CampOut, which lets any number of robots,
    each armed with its own basic visual, motor, and
    "intelligence" skills, detect and carry objects and work
    together as a team. Networked robotics lets robots view each
    other as extended resources, Schenker says. The software alerts
    the robots if there's too much weight shift in one direction,
    and they adjust accordingly.

    The laboratory started the project in anticipation of the
    potential challenges robots would face on Martian soil. "You
    need a team of robots that are extensible and flexible,"
    Schenker says. The robots communicate with wireless modems to
    exchange information about their activities. The idea, Schenker
    says, is to have each robot understand that it's carrying a
    certain amount of weight, know which direction to take an
    object, and see and adjust as a group to obstacles, such as a
    change in terrain. The ultimate goal for the robots is to serve
    as advance explorers on Mars. Schenker envisions teams of
    robots going to places and establishing "sustained robotic
    outposts." They also could act as a construction crew for a
    space station. - George V. Hulme
     
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  3. Rick Valued Senior Member

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    Tittle evokes a great(In fact a classic) question:
    ==============================================
    Can Human beings achieve the efficiency in synchronized work or collective work as Robots?
    =============================================
    I think no.we have our emotional limitations which disables us to do so.in the long run Team work is affected by how members are emotionally connected,if all is well in that way then team is going well,but if not,then everything breaks down.in case of Robots i think choice of Emotional attatchment is eliminated,thus removing the concerns for them to work as team.(I think).


    bye!
     
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