Communications of the ACM
Scientists Work Together to Move Robotics Forward
Arizona State University (ASU) researchers are developing next-generation robotic devices with greater intelligence and autonomy.
ASU professor Srikanth Saripalli is developing ways to enable autonomous vehicles to know where they are and to be able to quickly determine what they need to do based on that information. "The biggest problem is that vision is a really rich sense, and while humans do a lot of the processing automatically, computers really don't know how to incorporate all that data into something meaningful," Saripalli says. The researchers are working to understand how to combine data from different sources, such as video cameras and inertial guidance systems, to create positional awareness.
Meanwhile, ASU researchers Thomas Sugar and Veronica Santos are working on robotic solutions for prosthetic devices that replace missing body parts. Sugar has developed a mechanical ankle that can store and release energy in the joint using artificial intelligence, making walking more efficient. Santos is developing an artificial hand that has a fully developed sense of touch. "If you could stimulate the nervous system to produce a conscious sensation of tactile feedback . . . you could have an artificial hand and feel what you are touching," Santos says.
From ASU News
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