Robot Technology News
ROBO SPACE
Listening skills bring human-like touch to robots
illustration only
Listening skills bring human-like touch to robots
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 23, 2024

Imagine sitting in a dark movie theater, shaking your drink to hear how much soda is left. Now, researchers at Duke University are working to bring this type of human sensory ability to robots with a new system called SonicSense. This technology allows robots to "feel" and understand the world around them by interpreting acoustic vibrations, similar to how humans use sound to assess objects.

Scheduled to be presented at the Conference on Robot Learning (CoRL 2024) in Munich, Germany, SonicSense enables robots to interact with objects using sound-based feedback. The system features a robotic hand equipped with contact microphones embedded in its fingertips. These microphones detect vibrations when the robot taps, grasps, or shakes an object, allowing the robot to tune out background noise and focus on the specific item it's handling.

"Robots today mostly rely on vision to interpret the world," said Jiaxun Liu, lead author of the study and a Ph.D. student at Duke. "We wanted to create a solution that could work with complex and diverse objects found on a daily basis, giving robots a much richer ability to 'feel' and understand the world."

SonicSense uses the collected vibration data to analyze the object's material and shape. If the system has never encountered the object before, it may take up to 20 interactions to identify it. However, for objects stored in its database, it can make accurate identifications in as few as four interactions.

"SonicSense gives robots a new way to hear and feel, much like humans, which can transform how current robots perceive and interact with objects," said Boyuan Chen, professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at Duke, and supervisor of the research.

The researchers demonstrated SonicSense's capabilities by performing tasks such as counting dice in a box, determining the liquid level in a bottle, and building a 3D model of an object's shape and material through taps. The system's combination of multiple fingers, touch-based microphones, and AI techniques enables it to outperform previous methods, especially with objects that have complex surfaces or are made from multiple materials.

A critical advantage of SonicSense is its affordability. By utilizing low-cost components like 3D printing and microphones commonly used by musicians, the system is constructed for just over $200.

Looking ahead, the research team aims to improve SonicSense by integrating object-tracking algorithms, enabling robots to handle cluttered environments. Future iterations of the system will also explore advanced robotic hands with enhanced dexterity, making robots capable of performing more nuanced tasks.

"This is only the beginning," added Chen. "We're excited to explore how this technology can be further developed to integrate multiple sensory modalities, such as pressure and temperature, for even more complex interactions."

Research Report:SonicSense: Object Perception from In-Hand Acoustic Vibration

Related Links
Duke University
All about the robots on Earth and beyond!

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
ROBO SPACE
ABBA's Bjorn among 11,000 artists issuing AI warning
Los Angeles, United States (AFP) Oct 22, 2024
Thousands of artists including ABBA singer Bjorn Ulvaeus, Hollywood actress Julianne Moore and Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro have signed a statement warning about the unlicensed use of artificial intelligence. Some 11,500 stars of music, literature, screen and stage had put their names to the statement by Tuesday, as fears mount over tech companies using existing creative works to train up AI models without permission from their original creators. "The unlicensed use of creative works for traini ... read more

ROBO SPACE
Ukraine drone attack kills one in occupied city: Moscow

RTX showcases fully autonomous UAV coordination during U.S. Army EDGE24 exercise

RTX showcases autonomy for launched effects at U.S. Army EDGE event

Ukraine launches more than 100 drones in large-scale attack on western Russia

ROBO SPACE
India's green fashion lovers switch to secondhand

Advances in 3D-printed concrete boost strength, durability, and eco-friendly potential

Successful test could lead to discovery of element 120

Cage rage: How AI still divides actors and studios

ROBO SPACE
SCALE Nanotech reveals advanced GMOD technology for drones, avionics, and space

Taiwan's TSMC stops shipments to client after chips sent to Huawei

Taiwan's TSMC stops shipments to client after chips sent to Huawei

SKhynix posts record quarterly profit on strong AI demand

ROBO SPACE
Nuclear energy firm Orano halts Niger uranium production

Swedish court grants permit to build nuclear waste burial site

Framatome to Supply Nuclear Fuel for Hungary's Paks VVER Reactors

French uranium group Orano receives 300 mn euro injection from state

ROBO SPACE
Iraq says killed top Islamic State group figure

Iraqi strikes killed senior Islamic State group leader: US

Colombian leader 'nervous' about threats to UN nature talks in Cali

Colombia boosts security for biodiversity meet after rebel threats

ROBO SPACE
Trees and power lines flattened as Cyclone Dana hits India

World on deadline for carbon-cutting 'quantum leap': UN

70% of Cuba's population has power back after blackout

U.S. makes $860M loan guarantee to aid Puerto Rico in strengthening its energy grid

ROBO SPACE
Eramet suspends battery recycling project in France

Fusion energy could play a major role in the global response to climate change

Huge US lithium mine gets govt approval

Mercedes opens electric car battery recycling plant

ROBO SPACE
China sets ambitious space science development goals through 2050

China successfully retrieves first reusable test satellite Shijian-19

China unveils new lunar spacesuit design ahead of moon mission

Shenzhou XIX crew to launch as Shenzhou XVIII returns

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.