Artificial intelligence and robotics: What function does AI play in robots?

It may seem self-evident, yet robotics and artificial intelligence are two distinct fields.

While it is conceivable to have robots with artificial intelligence, it is also possible for robotics to thrive without AI, as most systems do now.

On this page, we’ll go through the distinctions between robotics and artificial intelligence, as well as look at some of the ways AI is being employed in cutting-edge robotics.

1. What is robotics?

Robotics is a discipline of engineering and computer science in which machines are designed to carry out pre-programmed activities without the need for additional human participation.
That’s a rather wide term that encompasses everything from a simple mechanical arm that assembles automobiles to something from science fiction like Wall-E or Amazon’s planned Astro ‘Alexa on wheels’ home robot.
Robots have traditionally been utilized for activities that are either too tough for people to do (e.g., moving extremely large pieces on an assembly line), too repetitious, or both.

A robot will joyfully repeat the same arduous duty day after day. When a person becomes bored, tired, or both, errors are made.

2. Is artificial intelligence and robotics the same thing?

Robotics and artificial intelligence are two distinct concepts that are occasionally (incorrectly) used interchangeably.
Artificial intelligence refers to systems that can learn, solve issues, and make judgments on the fly without the need for pre-programmed instructions.
Robotics is the science of creating and programming robots to fulfil highly precise tasks.

The actions performed are predictable, repetitive, and do not require extra ‘thinking’ in most circumstances, hence artificial intelligence is not required.

3. What function does artificial intelligence play in robotics?

Despite this, artificial intelligence and robots can coexist. Projects that use AI in robotics remain in the minority, but as our AI systems get more advanced, such designs are expected to become more frequent in the future. Here are a few instances of AI-enabled robots that are already on the market.

In robotics, there are a number of examples of artificial intelligence.

• Robotics In The Home

Amazon’s planned Astro bot is the most visible example of AI-powered domestic robots.
The robot, which is essentially an Echo Show on wheels, utilizes artificial intelligence to roam about the home independently, functioning as eyes and ears while you’re not there due to a periscope camera.
Robot vacuums can also man oeuvre around furniture, so this isn’t altogether new. However, AI is becoming more important in this area as well.
iRobot, the firm behind Roomba, has revealed that future versions would employ machine learning and artificial intelligence to detect and avoid pet waste.

• Robots In The Manufacturing

The potential impact of robotic AI on manufacturing, often known as Industry 4.0, is far greater.
This might be as basic as a robot navigating a crowded warehouse using algorithms, but businesses like Vicarious are utilizing AI on turnkey robots when the task is too complicated for programmed automation.
It isn’t the only one who feels this way. Another example of how robots are employed in production is the Shadow Dexterous Hand, which is capable of picking tender fruit without smashing it while also learning by demonstration, which might be a game changer in the pharmaceutical industry.
Meanwhile, the Site Monitoring Robot from Scaled Robotics can patrol a building site, scan the project, and analyze data for quality concerns.

• Robotics In The Business

Starship Technologies’ delivery robots are a great idea for any firm that has to distribute products within a four-mile radius.
The miniature robot on wheels, which is equipped with mapping systems, sensors, and AI, can figure out the best path to travel on the fly while avoiding the perils of the outside world.

Things are becoming much better in the catering department. Even though it’s called after the basic technique of flipping burgers, Miso Robotics’ Flippy employs 3D and thermal vision to learn from the kitchen it’s in and can pick up new talents over time. Moley’s Robotic Kitchen might possibly be a glimpse into the future of food service.

• Robotics In The Healthcare

Medical practitioners are frequently exhausted and overworked, and in the field of medicine, weariness may be fatal.
Robots don’t get weary, which makes them a good alternative, and so-called “Waldo Surgeons” can execute surgeries with great precision and a steady “hand.”

Robots, on the other hand, do not need to be able to perform the tasks of highly trained surgeons in order to be useful.
Simpler instances of robots in healthcare can free up doctors’ time by performing lower-skilled tasks. Moxi, for example, can perform everything from distributing personal protective equipment to running patient samples, freeing up human doctors to focus on their patients.

During the coronavirus epidemic, Cobionix developed a robot capable of administering needleless immunizations without the need for human monitoring.

• Robotics In The Agriculture

The advent of robotics in agriculture, like in healthcare, might alleviate labor shortages and worker weariness, but there’s another major benefit: sustainability.
Iron Ox, for example, employs artificial intelligence and robotics to guarantee that each plant receives the appropriate amount of sunlight, water, and nutrients in order to reach its maximum potential.
With robots and AI analyzing each plant, less water is wasted and farms create less trash. The idea is that the AI will learn from the data and improve output for subsequent harvests as well.

The Agrobot E-Series, another example of agricultural robots, can not only pick strawberries with its 24 robotic arms, but also employs artificial intelligence to determine the maturity of each fruit gathered.

• Robotics In The Aerospace

While NASA is actively focusing on improving the artificial intelligence of its Mars rovers and developing an automated satellite repair robot, other firms are also interested in using robotics and AI to boost space exploration.
For example, Airbus’ CIMON is a form of Alexa for astronauts in space, meant to help them with day-to-day work and relieve stress through voice recognition while simultaneously acting as an early-warning system to detect difficulties.
NASA isn’t the only organization working on self-driving rovers. In the not-too-distant future, iSpace’s own rover may be responsible for constructing the foundations of a ‘Moon Valley’ colony away from Earth, using onboard equipment.

• Robotics In The military

The military, perhaps, is less eager to brag about its accomplishments than those who use robotic AI for less contentious causes, yet the future of AI weaponry is quite real, and autonomous military drones have experienced actual conflict.

4. Why wouldn’t artificial intelligence be useful in robotics?

The most common argument against artificial intelligence in robots is because it isn’t required in many circumstances. Because the jobs now outsourced to robots are predictable and repetitive, any sort of artificial intelligence would be overkill when the activity does not require additional ‘thinking.’
However, there is a disadvantage to this: most robotics systems have been constructed with artificial intelligence’s limitations in mind.
To put it another way, most robots were designed to execute simple, programmed jobs since there was no room for them to accomplish anything more sophisticated.
With artificial intelligence progressing at a breakneck pace every year, the distinction between robotics and artificial intelligence may become increasingly blurred in the next decades.

5. Artificial intelligence and robotics have a bright future.

Artificial intelligence and robotics are two areas that are linked but not the same.
Robotics is the production of robots that can do activities without the need for human interaction, whereas AI is the process of systems imitating the human mind to make judgments and ‘learn.’
While it is possible to combine robotics and AI (and vice versa), the two can and usually do exist separately.
Most robots built to do simple, repetitive activities don’t require significant AI since their jobs are straightforward, predictable, and pre-programmed.
However, many AI-free robotics systems were designed with prior artificial intelligence restrictions in mind, and as the technology advances year after year, robotics producers may feel more confidence in pushing the boundaries of what can be accomplished by combining the two disciplines.
The above-mentioned instances of AI in manufacturing, aerospace, healthcare, and agriculture may undoubtedly make us optimistic about the future of robots and artificial intelligence.