Tsuruoka College of Technology team develops a “thinking robot” – no programming necessary
Feb 10, 2011 7:19
Prof. Sato (right) and his team operating the “intelligent robot” they developed. Yamagata Pref. Tsuruoka city. Tsuruoka College of Technology.
A team from Tsuruoka College of Technology – Department of Control and Information Systems Engineering (Yamagata Pref. Tsuruoka city) has successfully developed an “independent type intellectual arm robot”, which thinks for itself to move as required without programming in advance. In the future, if practically implemented, it could be applied to producing small quantities of multi products in quick response as it can be operated by voice of an operator with no expertise.
It was developed over 2 years by Prof. Sato (intelligence control system) from the department of control and information system engineering and 13 students from the research team after contemplating, “Could a machine possess the learning and deciding ability of a human being?” The theory was presented at the International Conference on System Sciences last July and the trial product was demonstrated at the school on Jan 28.
The developed robot combined a small camera, as used in mobile phones, pictures, image processing software, voice recognizing unit and coupling control software to the usual arm robot which can sort or carry objects.
Compared to the usual arm robot which can only respond to preprogrammed movements, the developed robot receives instructions through voice recognition software, uses a camera to recognize the colour and shape of the object then decide by itself to select. Even if the object was repositioned or stacked, it is said to sort the object out and pick it up.
The demonstration of the trial product was done by arranging three different coloured cubic blocks, red, blue and yellow. Despite rearranging the order, it picked the correct coloured block as instructed.
Prof. Sato tied the image processing algorithm (mathematical rules to solve problems) and the centre of gravity searching system to a voice recognizing device in the application. The algorithm was developed while he was working on target tracking in a heavy industry company in relation to space aviation development, before taking up this position.
According to Prof. Sato, “Recent robot programmes are complicated and difficult to handle without expertise but vocal instructions can be given by anyone. Instead of making preset movements, this one can decide by itself. Therefore, it is expected that the working efficiency will grow when it is applied to a production process of small quantities of multi products, where the necessary movements change frequently.” (by Mizoguchi, translation by Miyake)
