LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Taiwan's largest and one of the world's leading high-tech applied research institutions, today announced it will introduce and demonstrate its Intelligent Vision System for Companion Robots at CES 2017. ITRI invites potential partners and attendees to booth #2015, Tech East, Westgate, to play chess and have coffee with a robot commanded by ITRI’s Intelligent Vision System. A video demo of the Intelligent Vision System is available here: https://youtu.be/wVTYcRwoL7g.
ITRI’s Intelligent Vision System enables robots and other machines to interpret the visual world, act on visual information, and learn from experience. The Intelligent Vision System can be applied to consumer and industrial requirements. In a companion robot application, a robot equipped with ITRI’s Intelligent Vision System could perform household tasks such as setting and clearing a table, and assisting seniors or disabled people with drink refills and meal preparation, while continually improving its performance based on experience. In an industrial setting, a robot equipped with ITRI’s Intelligent Vision System could change its behavior without prior notification based on which assemblies are currently running on an assembly line, greatly reducing the time required to change assemblies.
A December 2016 IDC report, “IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Robotics 2017 Predictions," includes the following predictions for worldwide robotics: By 2018, 30 percent of all new robotic deployments will be smart collaborative robots that operate three times faster than today's robots and are safe for work around humans. And, 45 percent of the 200 leading global ecommerce and omni-channel commerce companies will deploy robotics systems in their order fulfillment warehousing and delivery operations. By 2019, 35 percent of leading organizations in logistics, health, utilities, and resources will explore the use of robots to automate operations. By 2020, 40 percent of commercial robots will become connected to a mesh of shared intelligence, resulting in 200 percent improvement in overall robotic operational efficiency.
ITRI’s Intelligent Vision System delivers the following technology breakthroughs:
- Intelligent Vision Technology and Developmental Learning Position Detection for perception of objects: In ITRI’s companion-robot demonstration at CES 2017, the robot is able to distinguish between various chess pieces and their locations; and between various coffee cups, their locations and fill levels. The same intelligence applies in various industrial-automation and Industry 4.0 applications. For example, a robot equipped with ITRI’s Intelligent Vision System could detect the size and position of items for automated loading and unloading applications.
- Smart Grip Technology for interaction with objects based on perception: In addition to perceiving different objects based on size, shape, color and location, ITRI’s Intelligent Vision System enables a robot to grip, move, and interact with objects, while avoiding collisions with other objects. In the CES 2017 companion-robot demonstration, the robot is able to play chess with attendees and fill coffee at various fill levels while the coffee cup is at random locations. In an industrial-automation and Industry 4.0 application, a robot equipped with ITRI’s Intelligent Vision System could grip and move an item to another location based on the robot’s perception of its attributes such as size, color, shape, and location.
- Deep learning: The Intelligent Vision System enables a robot to adapt to changing conditions and act accordingly. Unlike most current robots that are programmed to repeatedly perform a specific task at a specific time and location, robots equipped with ITRI’s Intelligent Vision System can change their behavior and perform tasks based on random events and requirements. In the CES 2017 chess demonstration, the robot must evaluate the random moves of its human opponent and move its chess pieces according to its current abilities. It learns to play chess better by experience, similar to the way humans do. In the coffee-filling application, the robot continually improves its ability to fill coffee cups of various sizes at random locations within its range. In an industrial assembly line application, it could alert operators when an exception condition in the assembly occurs based on its experience, helping with quality assurance.
"ITRI’s Intelligent Vision System has many potential applications for companion robots that can assist seniors, families and individuals, and continually learn to better perform at its tasks,” said Dr. Ming-Jer Kao, deputy general director of ITRI’s Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories. "We are looking forward to demonstrating at CES 2017 a robotic technology that reflects the important trends and addresses critical needs in consumer and industrial markets."
About ITRI
Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is one of the world’s leading technology R&D institutions aiming to innovate a better future for society. Founded in 1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan's industries from labor-intensive into innovation-driven. It focuses on the fields of Smart Living, Quality Health, and Sustainable Environment.
Over the years, ITRI has cultivated more than 140 CEOs and incubated over 240 innovative companies, including well-known names such as UMC and TSMC. In addition to its headquarters in Taiwan, ITRI has branch offices in the U.S., Europe, and Japan in an effort to extend its R&D scope and promote opportunities for international cooperation around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.itri.org/eng.
