Not all robots are here to take your jobs. There are many tedious, dirty, and dangerous tasks in this world that humans would not mind handing over to robots. In fact, a robot named Taurus, developed by the Stanford Research Institute (SRI International), has begun to take over one of the most dangerous jobs on Earth: bomb disposal.
Image: Bomb Disposal Robot
Undoubtedly, the emergence of bomb disposal robots has caused a global sensation. Now, with the installation of virtual reality equipment on Taurus, its already impressive program has reached new heights. Before the installation of the virtual reality equipment, the operator of Taurus had to observe the outside world through the robot’s 3D monitor and then control it by translating their hand movements into actions of the robot’s hands and grippers. Now, with the head-mounted device, users can control the robot using the Oculus Touch controller.
This means you can operate the robot to the fullest extent. To enhance your immersion, SRI can also integrate haptic feedback into the robot. “If you want to feel the push against a wall or the world, we can do that too,” said Mark Baybutt, director of the SRI Robotics Lab. With haptic feedback, we not only avoid the risk of the robot being blown up but can also effectively survey the surroundings and check for suspicious devices.
Now, in addition to the world seen through Taurus, you can also see various heads-up display features through the head-mounted monitor. For example, by lightly touching a virtual button with the Oculus Touch controller, you can lock the robot’s arm. “The heads-up display not only strengthens your connection with the distant world, making it feel more immersive,” Baybutt said, “but it also provides a very unique and interesting human-machine interface, allowing users to select different buttons or information.”
The connection between humans and machines will become increasingly stronger. As more sophisticated robots enter our lives, we need more advanced methods to interface with them. Although you may be very familiar with the operating systems on your phone or personal computer, that is not enough; humans must develop interfaces for the virtual world to further connect us with machines like Taurus.
This does not mean that you will soon be able to dispose of bombs yourself, nor that Taurus can replace you in a mine. Rather, it means that if something dangerous needs to be resolved, in the near future, we could have a robot that can obey human commands and take on various tasks on our behalf.
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Editor: Liang Jiaqi Proofreader: Hao Aiyu
Reference: https://www.wired.com/story/a-brave-bomb-disposal-robot-you-control-in-virtual-reality/
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