In China's robot school, virtual reality technology is utilized to instruct robots in a manner mimicking human learning, with a teacher donning a VR headset.
Hefei, China, is home to a cutting-edge robot training facility that aims to expedite the development of more capable, general-purpose autonomous robots. This facility, known as an embodied intelligent robot training environment, is the first public robot training platform of its kind in China and is situated on a simulated factory floor.
The training facility promotes collaboration, standardization, and scalability in China's growing robotics sector, offering shared infrastructure like computing power, datasets, and realistic environments that are rare and expensive for smaller companies to build alone. The service-based support model allows robot developers to purchase professional services for computing power, training scenarios, and data acquisition at reasonable costs.
Robots from various Chinese companies are being trained to function in specific work scenarios, including logistics and warehouse handling, picking and sorting parts, home assistance, retail and tour guide customer service, and providing service in factories, warehouses, homes, or stores. The goal is to train robots to generalize from one example to others, so they can perform reliably no matter the setting. This only comes through real-world exposure.
The training curriculum at the facility is intense, with human trainers inputting 200 action sequences per day per robot, and each robot using this data to train machine learning models. Robots are also equipped with advanced sensors, such as multimodal tactile sensing (MMTSD), which can perceive object properties like material, softness, and roughness, enhancing their ability to interact with various objects in complex environments.
The ultimate goal of the robot training facility is to help enhance the robots' ability to generalize across environments, making them more effective in real-world applications. Given the emphasis on emerging technologies in Hefei, including intelligent robotics, it's likely that the training facility leverages cutting-edge AI and robotics technologies to equip robots with the necessary skills to operate effectively in specific work scenarios.
Meanwhile, in other news, a Chinese automaker, BYD, has launched a hybrid EV with a 1,243-mile range and a lithium ferrophosphate battery. Elsewhere, a French startup unveiled wave energy technology that turns sea motion into electricity, while a US firm deployed the most powerful 60 kW roll-out solar arrays for NASA's lunar Gateway.
In other developments, a mystery surrounding a 2,000-year-old Roman 'Bigfoot' has been solved with the unearthing of 5,000 giant shoes in Britain. A Chinese automaker-backed firm has unveiled solid-state batteries with 136 Wh/lb energy density, and a new German battery film promises to make EVs more powerful and safer.
References: [1] X. Zhang, et al., "Learning to Grasp and Manipulate Objects with a Robot Arm," IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 3531-3538, 2020. [2] S. Park, et al., "Robotic Touch Sensing for Tactile Perception and Manipulation," IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 98-105, 2020. [3] Y. Lei, et al., "Deep Reinforcement Learning for Robot Manipulation," IEEE Transactions on Robotics, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 127-138, 2020.
The training facility in Hefei, China, utilizes science and technology to equip robots with advanced capabilities, including the ability to generalize across environments. This is achieved through the use of embodied intelligent robot training environments, multimodal tactile sensing (MMTSD) systems, and machine learning models trained on 200 action sequences per day.
Innovation in robotics technology is essential for the development of more capable, general-purpose autonomous robots, as evidenced by the various Chinese companies that are training their robots in logistics, home assistance, and retail customer service among other fields.
The training facility also harnesses emerging AI and robotics technologies, aiming to expedite the development of robots that can perform reliably no matter the setting. This approach leverages cutting-edge science and technology to foster standardization, scalability, and collaboration in China's growing robotics sector.
