Everybody hold on.
Our world will soon be flooded with robots of every shape, style, or function.
When you consider how artificial intelligence today can write its own code to update itself, there is no limit to what robots can achieve. No sector in our society will be excluded from the imminent onslaught of robotics and artificial intelligence.
I find it interesting to seek out robots that are the most creative — robots with unusual objectives that most of us would never have imagined.
I have discovered four (4) such robots that are not unique, that are quite useful, and I believe, will serve us well.
Robotic Fish Predator
For decades, scientists have battled various invasive fish species in the world’s lakes, streams, and rivers. Trying to control these invasive fish species is incredibly challenging because native fish species and the wildlife that depends on them have very few options for survival.
Researchers believe that robotic fish could be an invaluable tool in this fight. They think that these robotic predator fish will be especially effective against the world’s most destructive invasive species — the mosquitofish.
Native fish and also amphibians have been decimated by expansive mosquitofish populations within freshwater rivers and lakes throughout the world. Since traps and toxicants are the only tools available, past attempts to control these invasive fish have either failed or harmed local wildlife.
Researchers discovered that these robotic predators induced fear and stress-related changes into the mosquitofish. A replica of the largemouth bass was used because it is the primary predator of mosquitofish. They believe that these stress-related responses will translate into lower reproduction rates.
Autonomous Weeding Robot
FarmWise, which is San Francisco-based startup, has developed an autonomous weeding robot for farmers. These marvelous robots allow farmers to significantly reduce their dependence on chemical weed killers.
Farmers face increasing pressure these days from consumers to use fewer chemicals. Using fewer chemicals will also help maintain and preserve the integrity and quality of their soil.
Additionally, weeds are also becoming most resistant to herbicides, which has made weed management much more challenging.
This weeding robot utilizes a perception system that is driven by deep learning to analyze and capture real-time plant images. It then employs the latest embedded computers available.
After these images have been processed, the unit knows exactly where the weeds are located, and mechanically removes them without using any herbicide.
Robotic Chemist
Artificial intelligence has been quite active in the drug industry. It has been used to rapidly increase the constant search for new drugs. Not only this, but it could also discover a new material that could significantly improve current technologies. While the majority of this work is being done either through simulation or by sifting through databases, there is still a lot of lab work required.
Enter the robotic chemist. This new edition is proving to be a real asset to automation in the laboratory. This robot is capable of conducting various high-throughput experiments within several different domains.
Researchers from the University of Liverpool created a mobile robot that conducts experiments using the same lab equipment that humans use. And it is even capable of making time-sensitive decisions regarding which experiments need to be conducted next according to previous results.
Tiny Pollinating Robots
Believe it or not, we are on the verge of having an insect apocalypse. This is the combined result of global warming, pesticide use, and habitat loss. While this news may delight those of us who think bugs are creepy, it is actually a disaster for the world’s food supply.
Approximately one-third of the world’s crops depend on the pollination process performed by various insects.
A solution for this dilemma could be DelFly, which is a tiny flying insect robot that mimics the common fruit fly. Its wings beat 17 times per second, and it can hover and easily change directions and can travel at 15 miles per hour. It was created by Delft University of Technology, located in the Netherlands. And the creators are hopeful that one day this tiny flying robot will pollinate plants to feel this increasing demand.
Researchers envision this little robot buzzing around agricultural warehouses and greenhouses, as they are small and light — posing no risk at all to humans that would work alongside them. While they would help maintain food production if insects keep disappearing, there are other potential applications for them as well.
