Robot created to live on words

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Robot created to live on words

The future came a step closer yesterday as the Korea Institute of Science and Technology announced that one of its professors has developed a robot that can recognize its master’s voice and copy the master’s exact moves. A team led by professor You Bum-jae, head of the Intelligent Robotics Research Center at the science institute, created the robot, which is 150 centimeters tall (59 inches), weighs 67 kilograms and can walk at 0.9 kilometers per hour. The robot’s name has not been decided yet. The most distinctive feature of the robot is its ability to recognize its master and copy his or her movements directly without the installation of additional commands, the research team said. Also, when the master executes a certain gesture, such as a wave, the robot reacts appropriately. The robot can execute similar commands to Asimo, a robot developed by Honda in November 2000, and Hubo, developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology last month. The KIST robot can walk on both feet, understand verbal orders and apply variations of strength when shaking hands. But while Asimo can “dash” at 3 kilometers per hour, the new robot, like Hubo, cannot run. According to the KIST research team, while Asimo and Hubo have artificial intelligence chips installed, the unnamed robot’s artificial intelligence is located in a distant computer. The orders are executed through wireless communications between the computer and the robot. In voice recognition, simple phrases such as “What is your name?” and “I love you,” are inputted in the computer. The responses are also programmed. “Separating the brain and the body gives the opportunity to input various functions,” said Mr. You. According to a report by Kim Sung-hwan, a researcher at LG Economic Research Institute, the humanoid robotic market could rise as a prominent new industry in the 21st century. Unlike digital televisions or DVD players that replace their analog predecessors, the robot industry is a completely new market that has larger potential and could extend to various fields from simple households to offices, hospitals, schools and the military, the report said. Mr. Kim said if robots that execute simple household tasks are distributed to every family like personal computers and automobiles today, the market will be huge. by Park Bang-ju, Lee Ho-jeong
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