AI in the news
May 2008
May 31, 2008:
The future is now for cutting-edge prosthetics in track and field.
Ebenezer Samuel, NY Daily News, May 31, 2008.
" The Rheo Knee learns to move with the user. Through advanced artificial intelligence, it picks up the amputee’s habits, and learns to move fluidly. If the person is a one-legged amputee, Bluetooth sensors can be attached to the amputee’s healthy leg, and the Rheo can adapt to the good leg’s gait and stride length.
“It’s using artificial intelligence and a magnetic fluid to move,” says King. “And it has a swing phase and a stance phase for stability.”
POWER KNEE
While the Power Knee also uses artificial intelligence,...."
May 29, 2008:
Computer model knows what you're thinking.
Nature (published online),May 29, 2008.
" Researchers led by Tom Mitchell of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 'trained' a computer model to recognize the patterns of brain activity associated with 60 images, each of which represented a different noun, such as 'celery' or 'aeroplane'. "
May 27, 2008:
Robots Go Where Scientists Fear to Tread.
Georgia Tech Newswise, May 27, 2008.
"Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created specially designed robots called SnoMotes to traverse potentially dangerous ice environments. The SnoMotes work as a team, autonomously collaborating among themselves to gather data that could give scientists a better understanding of the important dynamics that influence the stability of ice sheets. ...The SnoMotes are autonomous robots and are not remote-controlled. They use cameras and sensors to navigate their environment. ... While Howard’s team works on versatile robots with the mobility and Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) skills to complete missions, Lampkin’s team will be creating a sensor package for later versions of Howard’s rovers.
"
May 27, 2008: NASA Spacecraft Ready to Dig on Mars.
NYTimes, May 27, 2008.
" One day after a picture-perfect landing on Mars, NASA’s Phoenix lander seemed Monday to be in perfect health. ... On Monday morning, a new set of instructions was sent to the Phoenix, and the results, including more photographs, were expected soon. After about a week of checking out the spacecraft and its systems, the science mission will begin by digging up a soil sample. "
May 26, 2008 :New Image-recognition Software Could Let Computers 'See' Like Humans Do.
Science Daily, May 26, 2008.
" Antonio Torralba, assistant professor in MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and colleagues have been trying to find out what is the smallest amount of information--that is, the shortest numerical representation--that can be derived from an image that will provide a useful indication of its content. Deriving such a short representation would be an important step toward making it possible to catalog the billions of images on the Internet automatically. ..."
May 22, 2008: Strokeable Robot Rabbit Talks with Touch.
Reed Business Information Ltd..
" A pet robot that communicates with humans only by touch is being used
to probe the way the oft-neglected sense bolsters our emotional
relationships. The findings could be used to make humans' relationships with
robots and other pieces of technology more emotionally rewarding.
Steve Yohanan at the University of
British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, says that robotics researchers too
often neglect haptics – touch – as a
form of communication. Vision and sound have been concentrated on instead.
But missing out tactility has a detrimental effect on the quality of the
interaction, he says. "I'm trying to provide a deeper experience by adding
touch," says Yohanan. ...
"
May 13, 2008: Designing Bug Perception Into Robots.
Science Daily, May 13, 2008.
" Insects have provided the inspiration for a team of European researchers seeking to improve the functionality of robots and robotic tools. ... Within the SPARC software architecture, the robot’s powers of perception are enhanced by its ability to use information derived from visual, audio and tactile sensors to form a dynamically evolving pattern. The pattern is in turn used to determine the movements of the device. ...
The research so far has already provided a new theoretical framework, or paradigm, for active robot perception. The paradigm is based on principles borrowed from psychology, synergetics, artificial intelligence and non-linear dynamical systems theory. "
May 12, 2008 :Robotic squirrel helps decode animal behavior.
CNN.
" Researchers are using a robot squirrel named Rocky to learn more
about the wild behavior of a common squirrel. They are hoping to learn more
about communication techniques, social cues, and survival instincts. ... Rocky is among many robotic critters worldwide helping researchers observe animals in their natural environments rather than in labs. ...
"
May 10, 2008:
Pinta the robot sailing boat takes on Atlantic challenge.
Lewis Smith, The Times Online May 10, 2008.
" The unmanned boat is undergoing final preparations before setting sail in the hope of becoming the first robot to cross an ocean using the power of wind. By sailing non-stop and unassisted for an estimated three months it will prove the potential for robotic craft to undertake vital research in roles in dangerous and far-off waters.
Pinta has been designed by scientists at Aberystwyth University and will join seven other robotic craft in October in a race across the Atlantic. The race is intended to test the endurance and reliability of robots away from battery chargers and the predictable environment of a laboratory. ...
"
May 7, 2008 :First Steps Toward Autonomous Robot Surgeries.
Office of News & Communications, Duke University, May 7, 2008.
"
The day may be getting a little closer when robots will perform surgery on patients in dangerous situations or in remote locations, such as on the battlefield or in space, with minimal human guidance. ... “In a number of tasks, the computer was able to direct the robot's actions,” said Stephen Smith, director of the Duke University Ultrasound Transducer Group and senior member of the research team. “We believe that this is the first proof-of-concept for this approach. Given that we achieved these early results with a rudimentary robot and a basic artificial intelligence program, the technology will advance to the point where robots – without the guidance of the doctor – can someday operate on people.”
"
May 3, 2008:
Pursuing the Next Level of Artificial Intelligence
John Markoff, NY Times, May 3, 2008.
". ...Ms. Koller was honored last week with a new computer sciences award sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery and the Infosys Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Indian computer services firm Infosys. ...
Ms. Koller is part of a revival of interest in artificial intelligence. After three decades of disappointments, artificial intelligence researchers are making progress.
"
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