The world is full of technologies that are not yet part of our daily experience. They will change our world as soon as we are ready for them. But those things are just ideas without the participation of brainy scientists and engineers. The brainiest of the brainy (in the field robotics) are of course Boston Dynamics.
Boston Dynamics began as a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where they developed the first robots that ran and maneuvered like animals. The first robot that made them known in the robotics world was the BigDog: - with a mass of approximately 109kg, it can carry up to 150 kg loads. It’s maximum speed is about 10 km/h - quite a slow cyber dog, don’t you think? Then they introduced WildCat - “The World’s Fastest Quadruped Robot”, which runs as fast as 32 km/h while maneuvering and maintaining its balance.
But those robots are just toys in comparison with the latest company products:
2. Which do you think will come first: human-like AI or human-like robots?
If we ever suffer the Rise of the Machines, it will be Boston Dynamics who provide an AI the ability to strangle us by own hands. In a more optimistic future, their robots will work in factories, load cargo ships, clean the streets, etc. This future may be closer than we think!
Boston Dynamics began as a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where they developed the first robots that ran and maneuvered like animals. The first robot that made them known in the robotics world was the BigDog: - with a mass of approximately 109kg, it can carry up to 150 kg loads. It’s maximum speed is about 10 km/h - quite a slow cyber dog, don’t you think? Then they introduced WildCat - “The World’s Fastest Quadruped Robot”, which runs as fast as 32 km/h while maneuvering and maintaining its balance.
But those robots are just toys in comparison with the latest company products:
Handle can pick up heavy loads(up to 45 kg) while occupying a small footprint, allowing it to maneuver in tight spaces.
SpotMini is a small four-legged robot that comfortably fits in an office or home. It weighs 25 kg (30 kg if you include the arm). Recently, they released a teaser video of the second generation, and it looks nearly production-ready. I believe that the rest of their robot product line will eventually look similar to this one.
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2. Which do you think will come first: human-like AI or human-like robots?
Comments
Your second question is quite hard to answer in my opinion. Before I will give you my response, I want to mention that I do not have any good knowledge about that topic, so it's quite possible that I'm not right.
So, let's start. AI is one of the most hyped part of IT right now. This big interest does not result in great inventions. People from non-IT related fields thinks that AI is some magic, that allows computer to think. Fact is, that it's not. AI and machine learning is just math. Noting more. Computer can't think. AI is making decision AFTER getting some sets defined earlier by human. Knowing that I do not see human-like AI in years.
Human-like roots- question is what we think of when we say "human-like" robots. If we think about machines like in Terminatior, it will not happen. Making high advanced bionic parts of human body like hands or leg - it may happen, actually I think that nowadays there are quite advanced fake parts of human body.
So if I have to choose, I will say human-like robots,
Maybe you have heard of the "Chinese room thought experiment", it holds that a program cannot give a computer a "mind" and "understanding", regardless of how intelligently or human-like the program may make the computer behave.
By "human-like" robots I mean robots that can walk like human, run like human and do any physical work that people can do. Why do you think that machines like in Terminator(but without skin) are impossible? What about the robots from "I, Robot" movie? They are even more advanced :)
As for the AI it will take years for humanity to create self-aware AI, able to learn by itself and do any abstract task, that is in reach of average human being. It's much different to create self-driving car than create machine with empathy and real feelings.
So humanity definitely will create human-like robots first.
But I think first will be Robots, after AI.
Because we AI - it's machine math which thinks how people ( it's my opinion) and after how robots will be better move or stand independently, etc. after that People will to integrate to this body AI.
Second, human-like AI will be the first. Because, why I should to buy robot without AI ? It's stupid. I think will be better if my robot understands everything and will be able to help me.
I've never heard of the company, but I've seen gifs, movies and presentations about their robots - I'm really amazed!
I liked bonus a lot :D
I belive that that human-like robots will come first- the BD made a great step forward in order to achieve that. And thinking like a human is much more difficult than moving like human.
About machines, I heard that they have vending machine with kebab. I heard that producers have orders from a lot of countries. If everthing goes well, in two years there will be kebab vending machines everywhere.
Obviously they test robots in a lab, basically because all the equipment is placed in a lab and because there is no sense to transport those heavy things to test them in a house.
And yes, I have a similar position about self-aware AI :) As I found out, self-aware AI is also known as Strong AI (comparing to the Weak AI that is used today).
As brain is our most complex organ I am amost sure that it is easier to make a robot which will copy our physical attributes and movement than creating an AI which will have same capabilities as ours.
The last question is very hard to predict. There is no sensible description of what human behaviour really is. Comparing something artificial (mathematically described) to undefined specification is impossible. I think that AI and robotics still have a long way to go before we even start comparing it with us.
I believe core of human-like robots should be based on human-like AI to process taking action. So in order to create this kind of robot, the human-like AI should be developed first.
Well, it should be robots first. AI, as it means to be, is very hard to program, but programmed human-like robots are more easier to produce. I just don't see the point of producing them - not mentioning the uncanny valley effect, it is simply not ergonomical solution at all.
exaggerated.
I think that the real AI is a holy grail and it won't come first. If you study machine learning and deep learning you'll realize we are so much behind by what people imagine.
I guess first will be human-like robots case AI just need a lot of time for being complete and ready to improve itself.
But it impressed me as he walked up the stairs. I think that in the near future in big manufacturing companies robots will be sent everywhere. The human factor will be limited to the absolute minimum.
I think the first one will be human-like robots. Human-like AI is very hard to create ... We need to wait a long time if we want the AI to work well.
btw. The best part of this artice was "Bonus"! :)
I don't know a lot about Boston Dynamics. But they don't sell their robots yet, do they? Then who sponsors them, who gives money on making new robots? It should be very expensive.
They acrobatics is so impressive, though.
SpotMini V.2 looks prettier than the previous version. Hope that people would be able to choose the color of the robot. But anyway it looks weird. I mean, it has a lot of ports and stuff like this. It could be dangerous for children. I think they should improve its design before selling this.
Which do you think will come first: human-like AI or human-like robots?
Human-like robots will come first, and human-like AI will use a huge part of technologies used in AI
In my opinion human-like robots will be first. I think that we have already some human-like robots that can do a lot of things for us.
I think the creation of a human-like robot (in terms of the human body) can be divided into two stages: construction a robotic body and construction a system or an artificial brain that would control the body. While I believe engineers are quite close to constructing a mechanical body, the AI capable of thinking like a human being is far more complex. That's why I believe the human-like robotic bodies are going to appear first.
I think that human-like robots will be faster. AI is developing very fast but we have more informations about every kind of robots.
I think that the human like AI will come first because the human like robots can’t really be human like without such AI. Looking how fast the AI is developing I think that it may happen much sooner than we think.
Those are human-like robots, just look how does it move, it's copied from human anatomy. And dog anatomy. Let's not forget about good bois.
I think it's hard to answer second question as both of them seem to develop at the same pace.
Yep, I have heard about Boston Dynamics, the company is legendary in robotics industry.
Development of the original BigDog robot was funded by DARPA, which is under U.S. Department of Defense. DARPA projects have provided many truly innovative and important technologies that had influence beyond the military use.
Robotics is a very complex field. I remember my teacher dr Witold Kruczek from Warsaw University of Technology. He asked us to move our hands and forearms and imagine how many different rotations and in how many angles can only this single part of our body perform. It is still impossible to replicate these movements with a smoothness that a human can operate it. I find it to be a really humbling observation.
I have worked in AI and semantic processing so I know its limitations better than the limitations in robotics. In any case, I do not expect Blade Runner replicants anytime soon.
We have already people like robots, because they use smart arms, legs, which help them to move or just live.
I think Boston Dynamics will lead robotics to its peak in future.
It's hard to predict what will come first: human-like AI or human-like robots, because everything changes rapidly, but most likely both more or less at the same time. Afterwards,in future, we will have intelligent human-like robots but I am not sure if I like it or not.
So I think that human-like AI will be first.
This is a right usage of a human's potential. Maybe one day we will fly for a vacation on moon on the Boston Dynamic's ship.
I think human-like AI will come first.
Their creatures are impressive, and I hope that one day it will be a common practice to own similar robot at home as a helper or a "pal".
I have no idea, what is gonna come first, but I think, that robots have more chances.
I think that robots will appear sooner than AI. When it comes to robots, the most important thing is to understand the physics and nowadays people are good at it. However creating human-like artificial inteligence requires a good knowledge of human mind and we barely know anything about it.
I've seen it before - its really innovative company, designing one of the most advanced walking robots, that use dynamic balance (i.e, the one every living thing uses for not overturning itself). With their tech, it will be possible to have your own robo-pet sooner than some people may think (as it's way easier to program some pet-AI, rather than human one)
>Which do you think will come first: human-like AI or human-like robots?
Well, I've answered this question above, but I'll say it again - human is far more complicated than anything on earth, when it comes to psychology and emotional "part".
Besides that, building humanoid robot is as easy as buying a mannequin and some servos, and putting Google Home/Amazon Echo inside its head...
What will come first? It’s too hard to say, but I would say that human-like robots. Why? For two simple reasons: firstly, artificial intelligence is a difficult science of study and it requires very intelligent programmers with great programming skills, secondly - right now there are first, active, great prototypes of human-like robots.
I certainly think the dog bots will come first, though human shaped bots would probably perform better when it comes to chores. After all, all the tools they would use we designed to be human operated.