Drive for robot autonomy key trend in global emerging robotics technology

Sept. 19, 2005
SEPTEMBER 19--Researchers are directing their efforts toward incorporating greater autonomy to enable robots to make more coherent decisions independently. Besides being incapable of survival in an outdoor environment, robots cannot make decisions out of the matrix of choices available in their internal programs.

SEPTEMBER 19--Autonomy is the latest buzzword in the field of emerging robotics technologies. Researchers are directing their efforts toward incorporating greater autonomy to enable robots to make more coherent decisions independently. Besides being incapable of survival in an outdoor environment, robots cannot make decisions out of the matrix of choices available in their internal programs. Now, market participants such as iRobot and Evolution Robotics Inc. are working toward creating more autonomous and intelligent machines as companies move robots from indoor to outdoor environments.

For instance, autonomy is crucial for defense applications such as ground warfare where robotics plays a vital role. "In the future, robots are going to be highly beneficial for reducing human/manual intervention in high-risk activities such as detecting explosives and landmines," explains Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Amreetha Vijayakumar.

With a single robot performing multiple functions, there is an urgent need for a standardized platform to integrate the different software modules. "Varied software components are available for synthesizing voice to make robots respond to vocal commands, or for processing the images captured by the robot's camera eye," says Vijayakumar. "However, these tools cannot function simultaneously due to the lack of a common platform."

The increase in demand for miniaturization fueled by breakthroughs such as nanobots, neural networks, and prosthetics, combined with advances in artificial intelligence, is likely to propel growth of robotics technology and guarantee its incorporation into routine life.

Frost & Sullivan (www.frost.com), a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services, and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities.

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