There's a human-like robot called Atlas that has amassed millions of YouTube views showing off its athletic prowess. Watching Atlas run, jump and tumble lands you straight in the “uncanny valley", which describes robots that are incredibly human-like, but not quite realistic. I had the same feeling last week when I met Spot, the robotic dog that shares the same creator as Atlas, at IBM Research's labs in New York.
US company Boston Dynamics built them with the same aim in mind - to assume roles that are too dangerous, boring or expensive for humans to do. While Atlas isn't on sale yet, it will likely cost a small fortune when it is, and be deployed in search and-rescue and military operations.
Spot, which sells for US$75,000, was in hot demand as staff shortages and Covid restrictions put a dent in the workforce responsible for mundane but important jobs in health and safety and security, such as monitoring oil and gas infrastructure or patrolling industrial facilities in the dead of night. IBM has built an add-on for Spot that uses sensors and cameras to gather information about the real world.
この記事は New Zealand Listener の June 11 - 17, 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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この記事は New Zealand Listener の June 11 - 17, 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
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