Printed 0n demand robots might be a reality
before the end of the decade if a US based project achieves its goals.
Researchers group aim to build a desktop technology that would allow an average
person to design and print a machine within 1 day. The Researchers team says
that making it easier to create specialised robots could have a "profound
impact on society". The effort is being funded by a amount $ 10m (£6.3m)
grant from the National Science Foundation independent U.S. government agency.
The Virginia based organization described the move as a "game changing
investment". "It has the potential to democratize and personalise
automation to meet the needs of individual users whether for search and rescue
workers in remote areas of the world or educators in classrooms (Training) around
the US possibilities for social impact abound," said spokeswoman Lisa-JoyZgorski.
The 5 year project involves robotics experts at
Massachusetts Institute of Information Technology, Harvard University (Cambridge,
MA 02138 USA) and the University of Pennsylvania(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
United States). The Researchers team members admit it would be unrealistic to
hope to have created a "universal robot-making print automatic machine"
within that time line limit. However, they intend to have developed a computer
program (computer software) which would allow users to specify certain
characteristics - such as the ability to navigate an environment or manipulate
certain types of object. This would then create computer manufacturing files
which would act as a recipe for a number of machines to build a auto robot from
scratch with minimal human interaction. In recent years printers capable of
making three dimensional plastic models have dropped in price making them
available to hobbyists. The research team hope their work will take the
development to another level. "We think of printing as a broad class of
techniques which are inherently accessible and relatively cheap," Prof Rob
Wood from Harvard University (Cambridge, MA 02138 USA) told the British
Broadcasting Corporation. "three dimensional printers are becoming more
accessible but we want to go beyond that to create robots that encompass
multiple functionalities, that have electrical and mechanical components,
controllers and microprocessors. That's something that goes beyond today's
state-of-the-art printers."
Longer term, Prof Wood said he hoped the research would pave
the way for one-stop shop machines that can "spit out" a robot at
home or at the future equivalent of a photocopy store for less than amount $ = 100
a piece. His colleague Prof.Daniela Rus, from MIT's Computer Science and
Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, added that this could lead to the creation
of a community of users who would share designs and experiences. "Building
on our philosophy that if you can imagine it you can build it, we believe this project
has enormous potential for broader impacts in education, Training, manufacturing,
healthcare, and everyday life," Prof.Daniela Rus said. "Imagine a
world in which printed functional objects are as common as printed paper.
"We will enable the rapid creation of tooling for manufacturing,
and fast reconfiguration of assembly lines. Custom robot hands will bring a new
level of flexibility to people confined to wheelchairs, allowing them to reach
for objects on shelves or floors, and inexpensive project kits in the
classroom. "
Source: British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC) News
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