Intelligent robot can grasp and position any object
Developed at the University of Birmingham, Boris is a robot that can pick up objects he has never seen before. Displayed at the British Science Festival, Boris is able to analyse and subsequently pick up and position objects without the need for prior programming. Looking at an object, he can work out how best to grip it.
The developer say Boris has been developed to manipulate unfamiliar objects intelligently, with a human-like grasp. Rather that being programmed to pick up an object, he has been programmed to learn how to pick it up.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham anticipate such robots working alongside humans. To demonstrate the potential, they are looking at getting Boris to load the dishwasher – not because this represents a typical application but rather because it demonstrates how Boris can sort through unfamiliar objects, work out what order to pick them up in and how to position them.
The next stage in development will be a robot called Bob, which will add mobility to its capabilities. To learn more about the projects, visit the PaCMan project website.
