Records from the 3rd century B.C. suggest the presence of automatons at the court of the Han dynasty in China. As noted in the Encyclopedia Britannica, these early instances included a commissioned mechanical orchestra for the emperor. Over time, these mechanisms evolved into remarkable technical achievements, particularly during the Enlightenment era. However, the pivotal leap in robotics occurred in the 20th century with the integration of industrial robots onto vehicle assembly lines, sparking a revolution in the automotive industry. Notably, the 21st century heralded the arrival of robots equipped with artificial intelligence, signifying a significant leap forward in the development of autonomous learning-capable machines.
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What were the first robots with artificial intelligence?
The first mobile robot with early artificial intelligence and autonomous operational capabilities in an environment is considered to be Shakey, introduced in 1968. A highly advanced machine for its time, it incorporated television cameras, laser and collision sensors, and a radio connection to a computer.
However, the term “artificial intelligence” was coined a decade prior to Shakey’s appearance at a 1956 conference at Dartmouth University in the USA. Even earlier, mathematicians like Alan Turing were exploring similar concepts in the 1940s.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the development of artificial intelligence experienced a certain stagnation due to perceived insurmountable challenges, commonly referred to as the “AI winter.”
Fortunately, in the 1990s, interest in AI surged with the emergence of Deep Blue, an artificial intelligence system that defeated Kasparov in chess. This evolution has continued to the present day with the introduction of ChatGPT and multimodal AIs. Notably, Boston Dynamics has entered into an agreement to incorporate OpenAI’s AI into its machines, enabling robots with intelligence capable of autonomous learning and performance enhancement over time.
Current robots
Presently, numerous companies are in various stages of developing prototypes, ranging from bipedal humanoids to quadrupeds akin to Boston Dynamics’ “dogs.” Notable initiatives include:
- Sophia: Unveiled in 2016, it was among the first modern machines capable of detecting and responding to human emotions.
- Apollo: A humanoid created in the laboratories of the University of Texas.
- Digit: Amazon’s ongoing development of a biped aimed at collaborating with humans in warehouses.
- Atlas: One of the most prominent bipeds, developed by Boston Dynamics.
- Optimus: Elon Musk’s personal venture aimed at competing in the realm of robots with artificial intelligence.
- Phoenix: A multifunctional bipedal robot launched in March 2023, adept at translating natural language into physical actions.
- Ameca: An advanced robot capable of displaying human-like facial gestures and engaging in conversation, although its current capability doesn’t extend to autonomous movement.
Robotics applications with AI
While some robots have striking appearances, others discreetly transform real-world production systems across various industries:
- Health: Advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics are revolutionizing medical diagnostics and physical therapies, in addition to surgical applications like robotic arms.
- Automotive: Robots equipped with artificial intelligence are pivotal in tasks from body welding to painting and assembly in the automotive industry. Collaborative robots, or cobots, are used when multiple models work on an assembly line. This technology is also applied in other sectors such as robotic recycling.
- Customer Service and Hospitality: The use of robots in sectors like customer service and hospitality is on the rise. A hotel in Nagasaki has achieved the milestone of becoming the world’s first fully robotized establishment in areas like reception, cloakroom, and check-out.
- Agriculture: The fusion of robotics and artificial intelligence is transforming processes such as precision viticulture. Robotic harvesters, for instance, can discern the fruit’s ripeness and selectively pick only the optimal ones.
- Trade and Logistics: The automated identification, transport, and placement of packages is a significant advantage of AI-enabled robotics. Amazon has initiated the use of robots to assist warehouse employees with their tasks.
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