New MIT robot to make life way easier, will move smoothly around busy crowded areas

With each successful steps by scientists all over the world, robots are becoming a human-like object day by day, making our life way easier as never before. It will be no wonder if they soon start acting as our tour guides and delivering pizzas, moving among crowded places without getting in the way of humans.

According to latest reports, a group of engineers at MIT are working hard to make this happen and teaching a robot the pedestrian behaviors and the way of being human, one of the most challenging aspects in the entire process. The tinny autonomous object is at present on training and trying to understand the unpredictability of human nature in order to navigate crowded places.

"Socially aware navigation is a central capability for mobile robots operating in environments that require frequent interactions with pedestrians. For instance, small robots could operate on sidewalks for package and food delivery. Similarly, personal mobility devices could transport people in large, crowded spaces, such as shopping malls, airports, and hospitals," Lead researcher Yu Fan 'Steven' Chen was quoted while talking about the research.

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Several number of webcams, a depth sensor and a high-resolution lidar sensor have been installed in the robot to successfully avoid collisions and move smoothly alongside humans in crowded open spaces, said a group of engineers from MIT’s Stata Center.

Researchers taught the robot to analyse its surroundings and decide its way without a collision with people in busy crowded areas.

Talking about their latest study co-author Michael Everett has said, We're not planning an entire path to the goal – it doesn’t make sense to do that anymore, especially if you’re assuming the world is changing."

"Crowds have a different dynamic than individual people, and you may have to learn something totally different if you see five people walking together," Michael added further.

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