New Mechanism Is Teaching First Aid Robots to Adjust to Injuries

Three-legged robot continuing his activity.

Robotic prototypes could go through many more transformations in the years to come as engineers discover new methods of turning these iron-made companions into useful and efficient workers. A new mechanism is teaching first aid robots to adjust to injuries, so they could continue to perform their tasks event though they have lost important parts of their bodies.

Robotics aficionados have always developed new projects hoping they could eventually elaborate a human-like computer capable of performing many of our day to day tasks. This objective appears attainable now as scientists have disclosed during a recent declaration that a new mechanism teaches first aid robots how to adjust to injuries.

While some people may think robot injuries are nothing compared to human injuries, it has taken a lot of time to researchers to develop this program. They think the technology will be extremely useful as robots will carry on with their activities even when they are missing a leg or an arm.

Until recently, robots performing human-inspired activities ceased all their mechanisms when faced with an injured or destroyed component. Scientists have worked to eliminate this glitch by analyzing the behavior of injured dogs.

They were particularly interested in the manner by which dogs with just three legs continue to walk, run and perform regular physical movements as if they had four limbs, instead. Due to the physics and anatomic movements that they have identified and studied, engineers managed to develop this new robotics mechanism.

Tests have shown that robots continued their activities even though their legs were injured. One particular robot was able to move objects around even though it had suffered severe motor damages. This new program called Intelligent Trial and Error enables robots to restart their motor functions within less than 10 minutes. “It’s amazing to watch a robot go from crippled and flailing around to efficiently limping away in about two minutes,” scientists have concluded.

Given the recent success that the Intelligent Trial and Error program has registered, there are many chances that the mechanism could soon be featured on many self-aid robots. The decision was taken after engineers realized that robots could, thus, perform dangerous activities that humans cannot normally do. These self-healing bionic persons will be mainly used in hostile environments, such as the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Jeff Clune of the University of Wyoming told the press that robots and other similar mechanisms will become vital for humans in the future. Bionic beings can perform highly dangerous activities, such as, digging up victims in treacherous ruins and fighting deadly fires. These are just a few of the many uses that scientists named when asked to suggest possible functions of the improved robots.
Image Source: Geekologie

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John Birks

John holds a diploma in journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He covers the technology, social media, green business, eco-travel, politics, arts culture.