Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

This chapter discusses robotics and artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is the study of making machines that exhibit intelligent behavior. The most common conception of a robot is that of a mechanical human being that walks, talks, and understands verbal commands; the robot has great strength and can walk through walls leaving a dusty pile of rubble behind; and it is not invulnerable—it can be destroyed by bombs, rayguns, or more powerful robots. It is generally believed that the next major advance in robotics will be the use of computerized vision systems to enable robots to see. The problems that must be solved are incredibly complex; it may be decades before robot vision systems will rival human vision. Some basic vision systems are already at work in industry, especially as parts inspectors on assembly lines. However, these systems have only the most primitive vision capabilities. They can recognize only a small number of parts and are easily confused by overlapping parts, similar parts, and shadows.