3 ms·

>"Some researchers are using machine learning to empower robots to independently identify and work out how to grab objects. Others are improving the hardware...

>"Some researchers are using machine learning to empower robots to independently identify and work out how to grab objects. Others are improving the hardware..." Software is the main bottleneck in ML at the moment, imo. That and data. The hardware problem (computation), which the author discusses briefly, has been more or less solved in the industry as newer software require less miniaturization of ICs and peripheral components[0] -- this despite Moore's law effect wearing off. [1] It's all about striking a fine balance between the hardware's raw computational capability and designing compatible software nimble enough to adapt rapidly to colossal influx of data. [0] https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/01/27/has-moores-law-held-up-over-the-last-five-years/#10ed1c821d26 https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/01/27/has-moores-law... [1] https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601441/moores-law-is-dead-now-what/ https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601441/moores-law-is-dead...

sgillen 8y ago
I think the hardware they are referring to is the physical arms/grippers, not the computers. In the field of robotics I'd say the hardware still has a lot of room for improvement, although I'd still say software is the bigger bottleneck.
- abhiminator 8y ago
  >they are referring to is the physical arms/grippers, not the computers. I stand corrected. Thank you for pointing it out.
stcredzero 8y ago
Software is the main bottleneck in ML at the moment, imo. That and data. The hardware problem, which the author discusses briefly, has been more or less solved in the industry I'm only a casual long time observer, but I think there's an opportunity here for haptic teleoperation. Data could be gathered from haptic teleoperators in much the same way that Tesla is gathering data for self-driving AI. Back in the 90's and early 2000's, Sarcos corp's website used to have a crappy realmedia video of a full-arm haptic rig operating an over-sized hydraulic arm casually holding an anvil like a beer mug. So evidently, we've been able to do full-body haptics and human-level agility manipulators for quite awhile. (Research in that stuff actually started in the 1970's!) On-orbit teleoperation from the ground could have interesting applications.
- greglindahl 8y ago
  NASA appears to do quite a bit of on-orbit teleoperation from the ground with the arm on the ISS.
  - stcredzero 8y ago
    The arm on the ISS functions more like a mini space-crane and less like an arm on a worker.

sgillen 8y ago

I think the hardware they are referring to is the physical arms/grippers, not the computers. In the field of robotics I'd say the hardware still has a lot of room for improvement, although I'd still say software is the bigger bottleneck.

abhiminator 8y ago
>they are referring to is the physical arms/grippers, not the computers. I stand corrected. Thank you for pointing it out.

stcredzero 8y ago

Software is the main bottleneck in ML at the moment, imo. That and data. The hardware problem, which the author discusses briefly, has been more or less solved in the industry I'm only a casual long time observer, but I think there's an opportunity here for haptic teleoperation. Data could be gathered from haptic teleoperators in much the same way that Tesla is gathering data for self-driving AI. Back in the 90's and early 2000's, Sarcos corp's website used to have a crappy realmedia video of a full-arm haptic rig operating an over-sized hydraulic arm casually holding an anvil like a beer mug. So evidently, we've been able to do full-body haptics and human-level agility manipulators for quite awhile. (Research in that stuff actually started in the 1970's!) On-orbit teleoperation from the ground could have interesting applications.

greglindahl 8y ago
NASA appears to do quite a bit of on-orbit teleoperation from the ground with the arm on the ISS.
- stcredzero 8y ago
  The arm on the ISS functions more like a mini space-crane and less like an arm on a worker.