Robots To Clean Your Kitchen And Play A Game Of Hockey?

Assistant professor Alexander Stoytchev (right) and graduate student Jivko Sinapov are working to develop software so a robot can learn to use tools. One example of such learning is maneuvering a hockey stick around a puck. (Credit: Photo by Bob Elbert)

From Science Daily:

ScienceDaily (Jan. 30, 2009) — Alexander Stoytchev and his three graduate students recently presented one of their robot's long and shiny arms to a visitor.

Here, they said, swing it around. And so the visitor tentatively gave the robot's left arm a few twists and twirls. The metal arm was heavy, but still moved easily at its shoulder, elbow and wrist joints.

Then the graduate students hit some keyboard commands and the robot replayed those exact arm movements.

It was all incredibly quick, smooth and precise.

Stoytchev, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, says it won't be long before robot technology is something we'll all see and experience.

"We'll have personal robots very soon," Stoytchev said. "We're waiting for the first killer app. Hopefully, we can contribute to that."

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