“Kinematic intelligence” helps robots learn their limits

Software lets robots learn from each other even if they have different hardware.

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[LordByronII]

Thank you Ars. I heard the same story on a main-stream news podcast a few days ago and I honestly couldn't tell from their reporting what was new or novel about the approach. It's thoughtful, in-depth reporting like this, that isn't dumbed-down, that's the reason why I trust Ars.

 

[nuurdin]

I could see this being useful someday for designers of advanced prosthetics.

 

[Hypatia]

I second LordByronII above. This is an excellent write-up. Just solid tech journalism all the way through.

It’s interesting to me that, given this:

And (surprisingly, these days) Kinematic Intelligence was built in an AI-free manner.

They chose to call this framework “Kinematic Intelligence”. Years ago, I wouldn’t have thought twice about that name. Now, with the ongoing AI hype, I wonder why they didn’t opt for something like “Kinematic Topology” or “Kinematic Adaptation” instead.

I can imagine plenty of reasons, but do we have any real insight into the story behind the naming convention here?

 

[no_great_name]

I second LordByronII above. This is an excellent write-up. Just solid tech journalism all the way through.

It’s interesting to me that, given this:

They chose to call this framework “Kinematic Intelligence”. Years ago, I wouldn’t have thought twice about that name. Now, with the ongoing AI hype, I wonder why they didn’t opt for something like “Kinematic Topology” or “Kinematic Adaptation” instead.

I can imagine plenty of reasons, but do we have any real insight into the story behind the naming convention here?

Seems like a reasonable use of the word intelligence honestly. Giving robots an innate understanding of the limitations of their bodies and how to safely navigate around those limitations to accomplish tasks.

 

[Tech-Space-Cars]

Until I made it to the Danger Zone subsection, I was puzzled. It’s a calibration issue. For all robot appendages, knowing the exact physical location and how much force it applies to interact with objects is crucial.

 

[aurelius rex]

In human terms, it works roughly like locking the elbows as they get fully straightened when pushing something heavy, which makes the arms unable to perform side-to-side movements for a moment

Excellent analogy. I tried it myself and immediately understood. Jacek, I’m really enjoying your articles.