Blog #4

NAO Robot link -   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNbj2G3GmAo

The NAO robot has had significant progress on it, as the video clearly shows. The video is a technical description of the robot and it shows some things that the NAO robot can actually do. It has two cameras which allow it to detect and recognize. It is also able to play music for entertainment. Text to speech, new nuance speech recognition, and two loudspeakers allow it to interact with other by replying to their greetings. It has a choregraphe program software. The wi-fi, I/r, and Ethernet allow it to communicate. It also has full body range of motion, anti self collision system, and prehensile hands which allows it to have full interaction in many different ways. It can recognize commands and where they came from due to the four microphones and sound localization that it has so it can obey the command that's its given. For its ability to walk, it has adaptive walk, smart motor stiffness, and a faster walk, which allows it to walk on different types of surfaces while maintaining balance. Furthermore, if the robot falls, it can recognize when it is falling and braces for the fall, once fallen it can get up on its own as well. For entertainment, it can also do hand gestures with someone else, like a slap and fist bump handshake. The technical specification of the robot is that is has an on board Intel atom 1.6 GHz CPU, 35 degrees of freedom and 23” tall. All of these features were done by NAO Next Gen, Alderabian Robotics.

Artificial intelligence is a type of computer designed with a dynamic aspect to help mankind. The definition of artificial intelligence is "the science and technology that seeks to create intelligent computational systems…..that can mimic or duplicate the intelligent behavior found in humans and other thinking things.” (Sullins, 2005). Basically, it is designed to work and act like a human being down to the smallest detail. Since robots can do a more precise job in the work field, they are becoming more and more useful to companies. It does not really matter how consistent and precise one can be, robots are programmed down to micrometers of precision and will be more consistent than humans. 

P. Sullins, J (2005). Artificial Intelligence. In Encyclopedia of Science, Technology and Ethics (Vol.1,pp. 110-113). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved May 15, 2013, from the Gale Virtual Reference Collection database.