China wants its humanoid robots, which look like something out of science fiction movies like Blade Runnerbecome reality. They have already amazed the world with many demonstrations of all kinds, so now they want to take it to the next level: to make them actually useful. If to do this you have to send them to a school for robots, just like that, then it’s done.
In fact, that was already confirmed a while ago. The Asian giant had opened enormous centers that were used in that way: to teach robots before they made the leap into the real world. Almost as if they were students practicing a trade. The latest news indicates that they even use a virtual reality helmet to learn tasks such as making coffee.
China teaches robots to make coffee
One of the main problems with humanoid robots, many experts maintain, is that they look incredible when they are presented, but then their reality is very different. They have serious problems doing anything (even walking) when they are not controlled remotely and have to be autonomous. China must be fully aware of this.
Hence, one of its solutions, it seems, has been to send some of its most advanced models to a robot school. It may sound like a joke, like a fantastic movie in the nature of Yo, robotbut it is a reality. As EuroNews shows, engineers and professionals of all kinds (humans, that is), They even use virtual reality helmets to train them.
In reality, everything has to do with artificial intelligence. In a way, the way the human instructor (let’s call him that) makes a cup of coffee or does anything like that, It reaches the AI algorithm, with the idea that, in this way, the robot will also be able to put it into practice. Until in the end he knows how to do it alone.
It is something, experts say, similar to what happens with autonomous cars. These are also trained with data collected over millions of kilometers of driving. The idea is to do the same with humanoid robots, only that these, being even newer technology, require greater effort. Even if it’s just to do household chores.
The theory is simple, but what about the practice?
China’s methods when it comes to «educating» its robots is striking to say the least. The big question is, will it really be practical? The problem that many robotics experts see with this is that The real world (even if it is a house or a factory, it doesn’t matter) is made up of many situations that are unpredictableand that cannot be replicated in a training center.
According to them, robots are nowhere near the reality that Chinese engineers (and other Americans, of course) would like. So, maybe it’s just a matter of knowing who is right and who is wrong.