Towards robotic Artificial Intelligence: Investigating Cognitive Robotics
In the current age of technology, robots are increasingly present as sophisticated machines in everyday life, as well as in manufacturing, retail, and other aspects of commerce. From the earliest days of robotics technology advanced rapidly, with researchers theorizing ways to link robotics with a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that could provide the individual robotic with a form of decision-making ability. This form of intelligence is known as ‘Cognitive Robotics’ and seeks to push the boundaries of AI past the limits of their current functionality, providing robots with site-specific critical thinking ability.
Cognitive Robotics are classed as a sub-division of AI, but exhibit a wide range of behaviours and functionalities. In essence, Cognitive Robotics equip automatic machines (often referred to as ‘robots’) with an ability to think, reason, and make decisions in varying contexts. Whilst many advances in AI technology have been made during the course of the last century, the aim of Cognitive Robotics is to allow robots to interact with the natural world on a much deeper level than previously seen. The incorporation of Cognitive Robotics into the industrial or manufacturing process could provide robots with far greater levels of autonomy than current methods could afford.
The most widely used definition of Cognitive Robotics is that it is the ‘study of behavior and the brain’s ability to make decisions in real-time.’ This differs from more traditional forms of AI that focus on a limited scope of learning and decision-making. However, despite this broad scope, the development of Cognitive Robotics is still in its early phases and yet to realise its true potential. In order for Cognitive Robotics to reach its full potential, researchers must be able to provide the technology with a means of learning and adapting in real-time.
The potential applications for this technology are vast, and its implementation could lead to the machines becoming truly autonomous, able to take the initiative and respond to external stimuli in a similar fashion to that of humans. For example, the autonomous machine could assess its environment, respond to threats or changing conditions, prioritize tasks, and develop short-term and long-term goals that it is able to achieve. With such features, a robot with Cognitive Robotics would be able to carry out complex tasks in an environment that is constantly changing.
The use of Cognitive Robotics could have a dramatic effect on the way that robots are used in manufacturing. For example, the incorporation of Cognitive Robotics into the process could allow robots to identify and prioritize tasks in the factory, while also taking into account the conditions of their environment, such as temperature and humidity. This could potentially reduce the amount of time lost due to the lack of proper task prioritizing, and could significantly improve production efficiency.
Additionally, the implementation of Cognitive Robotics into various industries such as transportation, retail, and healthcare could drastically reduce the number of unnecessary tasks or miscommunications in the workplace. This would reduce the chances of errors, improve customer service, and create an environment where employees are more productive due to their reliance on machines.
Finally, with the integration of Cognitive Robotics, the development of more ethical algorithms can be realised in order to limit the possible errors and biases that an AI system could produce. The responsibilities and accountability that come with robots which use Cognitive Robotics can be explored in order to create truly autonomous, ethical robots for a variety of applications.
Overall, the promise of an AI with the capabilities of Cognitive Robotics is compelling, and it is worth investigating the potential of this technology further. The advancements that let robots become more autonomous, better understand and react to their environment, and more closely mimic human behavior should not be underestimated. With continued research and technical development, Cognitive Robotics has the potential to revolutionize the way we use robots, and potentially create an AI that is able to make decisions independently.