May 03, 2013 | |
Maythe fourth be with the bots (w/video) |
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(Nanowerk News) As science-fiction fans around the world gear up to celebrate some of the most popular robots ever created on global Star Wars Day (otherwise known as May-the-fourth-be-with-you Day), CSIRO has released details about its latest crop of robots which indicate advances in ICT research will see closer collaboration between people and robots in the not so distant future. | |
CSIRO's 'Yoda of robotics', Dr Jonathan Roberts says the next generation of assistive robots which are specifically designed to help humans in the workplace will increase efficiencies and improve safety. He believes this trend reveals interesting similarities and differences between today's robots to those first seen in the epic George Lucas series 35 years ago. | |
"The main difference is that the droids in Star Wars are capable of far more general tasks than what robots are designed to perform today and often lend a hand in all sorts of applications. For example, R2-D2 is a droid designed to help work spacecraft, yet he also occasionally subs as an excellent spy and cocktail waiter," says Jonathan Roberts, Director of CSIRO's Autonomous Systems Lab. | |
"Robots on Earth today tend to be made for very specific tasks and are not particularly easy to train to perform activities outside their intended scope. However, we are currently developing robotic systems which are designed to assist people in a variety of circumstances. While some may work alongside people in a factory others are designed for tasks considered impractical or too hazardous for humans. This is exactly what droids do in the Star Wars universe, except of course droids help all types of weird creatures, not just people." | |
Some of the latest robots which are being developed by CSIRO's Autonomous Systems Lab to help humans include: | |
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Star Wars fans are encouraged to join the conversation by tweeting @CSIRONews what their favourite robot is using the #maythefourthbewithyou hash tag. | |
CSIRO will also be launching a whitepaper outlining further details on how assistive robotics can be used in the manufacturing industry during next week's National Manufacturing Week (7-10 May) conference. | |
About the Autonomous Systems Lab | |
CSIRO’s Autonomous Systems Laboratory is developing automation technologies for application in fields such as environmental monitoring, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and for the energy sector. The key research areas within the laboratory are field robotics and wireless sensor networks. Our research has produced new techniques for the autonomous control of machines, 3D perception and localisation, and for the setup and operation of large scale outdoor wireless sensor networks. These techniques are combined to produce novel solutions for industry. | |
About Global Star Wars Day | |
May 4 is considered a holiday by Star Wars fans to celebrate Star Wars culture and honour the films. It is called Star Wars Day because of the popularity of a common pun [external link] spoken on this day. Since the phrase "May the Force be with you" is a famous quote often spoken in the Star Wars films, fans commonly say "May the fourth be with you" on this day. In 2011, the first organized celebration of Star Wars Day took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Toronto Underground Cinema. For more information visit Star Wars - May the 4th be with you. |
Source: CSIRO | |
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