Autonomous robots excel in factories and other manmade spaces, but they struggle with the randomness of nature.o help these machines overcome uneven terrain and other obstacles, University at Buffalo researchers have turned to beavers, termites and other animals that build structures in response to simple environmental cues, as opposed to following predetermined plans.
The work could have implications in search-and-rescue operations, planetary exploration for Mars rover-style vehicles and other areas.While the project involves animals and robots, its main focus is math: specifically, developing new algorithms — the sets of rules that self-governing machines need to make sense of their environment and solve problems.
They then created uneven terrain — randomly placed rocks, bricks and broken bits of concrete — to simulate an environment after a disaster such as a tornado or earthquake. The team also places hand-sized bean bags of different sizes around the simulated disaster area.
Researchers then activate the robot, which uses the algorithms Napp developed to continuously monitor and scan its environment. It picks up bean bags and deposits them in holes and gaps in between the rock, brick and concrete. Eventually the bags form a ramp, which allows the robot to overcome the obstacles and reach its target location, a flat platform.Just like an animal, the robot can operate completely by itself, and react to and change its surroundings to suit its needs.
News Source: https://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2018/06/017.html
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