Artificial Intelligence in Robotics

With the invention of machines or computers, their capability to perform different tasks went on
increasing exponentially. Humans have developed the power of computer systems in terms of
diverse working domains, with increasing speed, and reducing size with respect to time.

What is Artificial Intelligence

According to the founder of Artificial Intelligence, John McCarthy, it is "The engineering and
science developed intelligent machine, especially an intelligent computer programs".

It is a way of developing a computer, a computer-controlled robot, or software that think

intelligently, in a similar manner the intelligent humans think.

Artificial Intelligence is implemented by studying how human brain thinks and how humans
decide, learn, and work while trying to solve a problem, and then using the result of this study as
a basis of developing intelligent systems and software.

Goals of Artificial Intelligence

o For Implementing Human Intelligence in Machines - Creating systems that

understand, learn, think and behave like humans.
o For Developing Expert Systems - The systems which exhibit intelligent behavior, learn,
explain, demonstrate, and advice its users.

What Contributes to Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is a technology and science based on disciplines such as Psychology,

Computer Science, Biology, Mathematics, Linguistics, and Engineering. A major thrust to
artificial intelligence is the development of computer functions associated with human
intelligence, such as learning, reasoning and problem solving.

Consider the different areas which contribute to artificial intelligence are:-

 Programming with and without Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Programming with AI Programming without AI

AI programs can absorb new modifications by using highly independent Modification in a program leads to
pieces of information together. Therefore you can modify even a minute change in its structure.
piece of information in a program without affecting its structure.
A computer program with AI can answer the generic questions it is A computer program without AI can
meant to solve. answer the specific questions it is
meant to solve.
Easy and quick program modification. Modification is not quick and easy. It
may result in affecting the program
adversely.
Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

o Expert Systems - There are various applications which integrate machine, special
information and software to impart advising and reasoning. These systems provide
explanation and advice to the users.
o Gaming - AI plays major role in strategic games such as poker, chess, tic-tac-toe, etc.
Using artificial intelligence the machine can think of large number of possible moves
based on general knowledge.
o Natural Language Processing - Using natural language processing it is possible to
interact with a computer that can understand natural language spoken by humans.
o Vision systems - These systems interpret, understand, and comprehend a visual input on
the computer.
o Intelligent Robots - Robots are designed for performing the tasks given by a human.
They have sensors embedded to detect physical data from the outside environment such
as heat, light, sound, pressure, etc. They have multiple sensors, efficient processors and
large memory, to exhibit intelligence. In addition, they are capable to learn from their
mistakes and they can easily adapt to the new environment.

Artificial Intelligence Research Areas

The working domain of artificial intelligence is huge in width and breadth. Therefore before
proceeding further considers the prospering and common research areas in the domain of
artificial intelligence are:-

o Expert System - In artificial intelligence, an expert system are used for solving complex
problems by reasoning about knowledge, represented primarily by if-then rules rather
than by conventional procedural code. In general, an expert system is a computer system
that uses the decision-making capability of a human expert.
o Neural Networks - Neural networks are system of interconnected ?neurons? which
exchange messages between each other. In machine learning artificial neural networks
(ANNs) belongs to a family of model inspired by biological neural networks (the nervous
system of animals, present inside a brain) and are used for approximate functions or
estimate a large number of inputs which are generally unknown.
o Robotics - Robotics is a branch of Artificial Intelligence (AI), it is mainly composed of
electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science engineering for
construction, designing and application of robots. Robotics is science of building or
designing an application of robots. The aim of robotics is to design an efficient robot.
o Fuzzy logic - Fuzzy logic was introduced in 1965 as a proposal of fuzzy set theory. It is
applied to various fields, from artificial intelligence to control theory. Fuzzy logic is a
form of many-valued logic in which truth table values of variable may be real number
between 0 and 1.
o Natural Language Processing - Natural language processing (NLP) is a method of
communicating with an intelligent system by using a natural language such as English.
The input and output of NLP system is speech and written text.
Robotics
Robotics is a domain in artificial intelligence that deals with the study of creating intelligent and
efficient robots.

What are Robots?

Robots are the artificial agents acting in real world environment.

Objective
Robots are aimed at manipulating the objects by perceiving, picking, moving, modifying the
physical properties of object, destroying it, or to have an effect thereby freeing manpower from
doing repetitive functions without getting bored, distracted, or exhausted.

What is Robotics?

Robotics is a branch of AI, which is composed of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical

Engineering, and Computer Science for designing, construction, and application of robots.
Aspects of Robotics
• The robots have mechanical construction, form, or shape designed to accomplish a
particular task.
• They have electrical components which power and control the machinery.
• They contain some level of computer program that determines what, when and how a
robot does something.

Difference in Robot System and Other AI Program

Here is the difference between the two −

AI Programs Robots

They usually operate in computer- They operate in real physical world

stimulated worlds.

The input to an AI program is in Inputs to robots is analog signal in the form of

symbols and rules. speech waveform or images

They need general purpose They need special hardware with sensors and
computers to operate on. effectors.
Robot Locomotion

Locomotion is the mechanism that makes a robot capable of moving in its environment. There
are various types of locomotions −

• Legged
• Wheeled
• Combination of Legged and Wheeled Locomotion
• Tracked slip/skid
Legged Locomotion
• This type of locomotion consumes more power while demonstrating walk, jump, trot,
hop, climb up or down, etc.
• It requires more number of motors to accomplish a movement. It is suited for rough as
well as smooth terrain where irregular or too smooth surface makes it consume more
power for a wheeled locomotion. It is little difficult to implement because of stability
issues.
• It comes with the variety of one, two, four, and six legs. If a robot has multiple legs then
leg coordination is necessary for locomotion.
The total number of possible gaits (a periodic sequence of lift and release events for each of the
total legs) a robot can travel depends upon the number of its legs.
If a robot has k legs, then the number of possible events N = (2k-1)!.
In case of a two-legged robot (k=2), the number of possible events is N = (2k-1)! = (2*2-1)! =
3! = 6.
Hence there are six possible different events −

• Lifting the Left leg

• Releasing the Left leg
• Lifting the Right leg
• Releasing the Right leg
• Lifting both the legs together
• Releasing both the legs together
In case of k=6 legs, there are 39916800 possible events. Hence the complexity of robots is
directly proportional to the number of legs.
Wheeled Locomotion
It requires fewer number of motors to accomplish a movement. It is little easy to implement as
there are less stability issues in case of more number of wheels. It is power efficient as
compared to legged locomotion.
• Standard wheel − Rotates around the wheel axle and around the contact
• Castor wheel − Rotates around the wheel axle and the offset steering joint.
• Swedish 45o and Swedish 90o wheels − Omni-wheel, rotates around the contact point,
around the wheel axle, and around the rollers.
• Ball or spherical wheel − Omnidirectional wheel, technically difficult to implement.

Slip/Skid Locomotion
In this type, the vehicles use tracks as in a tank. The robot is steered by moving the tracks with
different speeds in the same or opposite direction. It offers stability because of large contact
area of track and ground.
Components of a Robot

Robots are constructed with the following −

• Power Supply − The robots are powered by batteries, solar power, hydraulic, or
pneumatic power sources.
• Actuators − They convert energy into movement.
• Electric motors (AC/DC) − They are required for rotational movement.
• Pneumatic Air Muscles − They contract almost 40% when air is sucked in them.
• Muscle Wires − They contract by 5% when electric current is passed through them.
• Piezo Motors and Ultrasonic Motors − Best for industrial robots.
• Sensors − They provide knowledge of real time information on the task environment.
Robots are equipped with vision sensors to be to compute the depth in the environment.
A tactile sensor imitates the mechanical properties of touch receptors of human
fingertips.

Computer Vision

This is a technology of AI with which the robots can see. The computer vision plays vital role in
the domains of safety, security, health, access, and entertainment.
Computer vision automatically extracts, analyzes, and comprehends useful information from a
single image or an array of images. This process involves development of algorithms to
accomplish automatic visual comprehension.
Hardware of Computer Vision System
This involves −

• Power supply
• Image acquisition device such as camera
• A processor
• A software
 • A display device for monitoring the system
• Accessories such as camera stands, cables, and connectors

Tasks of Computer Vision:

• OCR − In the domain of computers, Optical Character Reader, a software to convert

scanned documents into editable text, which accompanies a scanner.
• Face Detection − Many state-of-the-art cameras come with this feature, which enables to
read the face and take the picture of that perfect expression. It is used to let a user access
the software on correct match.
• Object Recognition − They are installed in supermarkets, cameras, high-end cars such
as BMW, GM, and Volvo.
• Estimating Position − It is estimating position of an object with respect to camera as in
position of tumor in human’s body.

Application Domains of Computer Vision:

• Agriculture
• Autonomous vehicles
• Biometrics
• Character recognition
• Forensics, security, and surveillance
• Industrial quality inspection
• Face recognition
• Gesture analysis
• Geoscience
• Medical imagery
• Pollution monitoring
• Process control
• Remote sensing
• Robotics
• Transport

Applications of Robotics:

The robotics has been instrumental in the various domains such as −

• Industries − Robots are used for handling material, cutting, welding, color coating,
drilling, polishing, etc.
• Military − Autonomous robots can reach inaccessible and hazardous zones during war.
A robot named Daksh, developed by Defense Research and Development Organization
(DRDO), is in function to destroy life-threatening objects safely.
• Medicine − The robots are capable of carrying out hundreds of clinical tests
simultaneously, rehabilitating permanently disabled people, and performing complex
surgeries such as brain tumors.
• Exploration − The robot rock climbers used for space exploration, underwater drones
used for ocean exploration are to name a few.
• Entertainment − Disney’s engineers have created hundreds of robots for movie making.