Slowly but steadily, robots are entering our world to replace humans in exploration of hazardous regions. But, due to lack of intelligence, robots can’t interact with the surrounding environment like humans. If today’s most sophisticated robot is trapped behind a jammed door in a burning room, it won’t be able to decide what to do. But, in this situation, if MacGyver were there then he might have used his shirt to filter the smoke, craft an explosive from a paperclip and strand of hair to blow the jammed door open. A team of Georgia Tech University researchers hopes to bring MacGyver into the realm of the robots. And, guess what? U.S. Navy is funding for making this robot.
The name of this to-be-built robot is “MacGyver Bot.” Researchers are trying to develop a “hybrid reasoning system,” (no doubt, it’s a software) which will use physics-based algorithms and will try to “teach” MacGyver’s system what objects are for what purpose and how they can be used. After teaching, researchers will test the robot’s system using Golem Krang, a headless humanoid robot.
The U.S. Navy is funding $900,000 (£562,000) to robotics researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology to work on the robotic version of MacGyver.
Project leader Prof Mike Stilman said, “Our goal is to develop a robot that behaves like MacGyver, the television character from the 1980s who solved complex problems and escaped dangerous situations by using everyday objects and materials he found at hand.”
Source: Georgia Institute of Technology
Thanks To: BBC
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