What is Artificial Intelligence?

TA2 is a telepresence project that uses ambient intelligence to bring families closer together

An EU-funded project, TA2 is a collaboration of researchers from several European countries aiming to create the interactive communication media that will bring together families wherever they are at any given time.

TA2, short for "together anywhere, together anytime" is an ambitious tele-presence project that integrates sophisticated video and audio communications systems with digital media, interactive devices and ambient intelligence.

In Berlin, in IFA, known as the largest consumer electronics fair in the world, TA2 was exhibited and demonstrated with two rooms, two TV sets and two tables or boards with integrated touch screens on which demonstrators could play games.

During the actual demonstration, many spectators were particularly interested and amazed at the demonstrators playing a board game together as if they were all in the same room.

According to Nikolaus Färber, head researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Germany. "People have become isolated by technology." That's why they created a technology that will bring every member of the family whenever they want to anywhere.

Click here to read more about TA2, Ambient Technology

According to the Nikkei, Japan plans to develop "mind-reading" robots and consumer electronics that can be controlled by thought alone and hopes to market them within a decade.

Reports say that this project is a partnership between the government and the private sector.

Using sensor-mounted headsets, these devices would use brain-machine interface technology, which analyses users' brain waves and brain blood-flow patterns detected. Applications of these devices would include television sets that can be operated without lifting a finger and mobile phones that send text messages composed purely through thought.

They are also planning on making a car navigation system that searches for restaurants when the driver thinks of having a meal, and air-conditioners that adjust the temperature when people in the room feel too warm or cold.

Click here to read more about Mind-Reading Robots and Brain Interface Devices.

The Technical University of Munich and the Institute of Technology Autonomous Systems (TAS) are developing the successor of their robot JOHNNIE. It is called LOLA and it is capable of planning its own walking trajectory through a room in real-time using image data.

LOLA is equipped with gyro sensors in its upper body and 6-axis force sensors in its feet to help maintain balance. It stands 180cm (5?10?) tall, weighs 60kg (132 lbs), and has a total of 25 degrees of freedom (2 legs x7, 2 arms x3, waist x2, head x3). To reduce the load and increase its step length and walking speed, they put an extra toe joint on LOLA. However, LOLA is connected via cables to three computers which handle this task due to the processing power required to perform image recognition.

Click here to read more about LOLA.

AILA

AILA, a fembot [GER] developed at the Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz (DFKI/German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence), can identify, grab, sort or transport those objects autonomously. AILA is designed in a way so she can touch and handle a number of different objects safely based on their weight and fragility.

The system uses SemProM (Semantic Product Memory), which it combines with its computer vision when handling objects of varying shapes and sizes. AILA has two laser range finders, stereo vision in its head, a 3D camera for object recognition and orientation, and an RFID reader in its left hand. It has a total of 22 degrees of freedom (wheels x2, 2 arms x7, torso x4, head x2) and moves on a wheeled base containing 6 wheels.

Click here to read more about AILA.

The Robovie-R version 3.

ATR and Vstone formally presented the Robovie-R Ver.3, which included two types. The robot will be used to help guide the elderly in public places such as shopping malls, and subway stations this fall.

The Robovie-R Ver.3 stands 108cm (3?6?) tall, weighs 35kg (77 lbs), and has 17 degrees of freedom (eyes x4, neck x3, 2 arms x4, 2 wheels). Like the Robovie-R Ver.2, Ver.3 runs on a combination of a Windows PC and a sub CPU designed by Vstone. It has 11 tactile sensors throughout its body and is equipped with 2 USB cameras for eyes, 2 mono microphones for ears, a speaker for a mouth, and can be equipped with a laser range finder in its base for obstacle detection. It will also communicate with a local network which includes other robots, cameras, and mobile phone services.

Click here to read more about Robovie-R Ver.3, Robovie-R3.