Category: Service Robotics

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Robots in Hawai’i – Part 5

The K5, a security robot, comes from Knightscope in Silicon Valley. It can be seen there regularly. It provides, e.g., security at the Stanford Shopping Center. The conical robot is autonomous. It can see, hear, and even smell smoke and gas. The classic security robot also made it to Hawaii (Hawaiian: Hawai’i), for the first time in 2021, according to the Khon2 platform: “There is a new security guard getting a lot of attention at the Financial Plaza of the Pacific in downtown Honolulu, but it is not what you would think — it is actually a robot and the newest member of Bank of Hawaii’s security force. It looks like something out of a sci-fi movie – only it is actually real. Currently, the security robot is patrolling the busy area in and around the Bank of Hawaii’s Financial Plaza on Bishop and Merchant streets. For many people, the robot is a curiosity – attracting lots of odd looks – with some people capturing video and even posing for selfies. But many others, like Nasir Randall, are not quite sure what to make of it.” (Khon2, 28 October 2021) Security robots, along with cleaning robots and transport robots, are among the service robots that are largely error-free and already saving money. Over the next few years, they are likely to become widely used and accepted around the world.

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Robots in Hawai’i – Part 4

Cleaning robots, along with security robots and transport robots, are among the service robots that work largely error-free and are already saving costs. The Hawaii Department of Transportation Airports Division continues to modernize Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and give HNL an open, clean feel. The modernization includes the addition of two robotic floor scrubbers to supplement custodial services. This was reported by the Hawaii Department of Transportation. “The robotic scrubbers will help us keep HNL sanitary and sparkling,” said Ross Higashi. He is the Hawaii Department of Transportation’s deputy director of airports. “Use of this technology will also allow us to maximize available staff in maintaining our busiest airport to standards.” (Website Hawaii Department of Transportation) Without a doubt, cleaning robots are also an option for the other islands of Hawai’i, such as the Big Island and Kaua’i. On the Big Island, there are two airports that come into question. In addition, cleaning robots could be used in the streets of Hilo. Also other service robots are entering the market that can clear beaches and lawns of litter.

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Robots in Hawai’i – Part 3

Surveying and collecting rare plant species that grow on steep cliffs has been a risky business for scientists and conservationists for centuries. The world’s first aerial sampling system, which uses a robotic arm suspended from a drone, is attempting to solve this problem in Hawai’i. An article published by Mongabay magazine back in November 2022 states: “In Hawai’i’s Kaua’i island, the world’s first aerial sampling system has successfully flown into high-altitude cliff faces to cut out samples from rare plants and bring them back to a nursery. Scientists call it ‘the Mamba,’ a cutting mechanism on a remote-controlled robotic arm suspended from a drone. The system was developed by Hawai’i-based not-for-profit conservation organization National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) and Quebec-based technology company Outreach Robotics and the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec.” (Mongabay, 9. November 2023) Ben Nyberg, the NTBG’s geographic information system and drone program coordinator, told Mongabay in an interview: “It is really unlocking a lot of areas that have previously been completely inaccessible.” (Mongabay, 9. November 2023) Of course, criminals could also adopt the technology. But it would be almost impossible to smuggle rare plants out of Hawai’i due to strict customs controls.

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Preprint on Bar Robots

From March 27-29, 2023, the AAAI 2023 Spring Symposia featured the symposium “Socially Responsible AI for Well-being” by Takashi Kido (Teikyo University, Japan) and Keiki Takadama (The University of Electro-Communications, Japan). This time the venue was exceptionally not Stanford University, but the Hyatt Regency SFO Airport. On March 28, Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel and Lea Peier presented their paper “How Can Bar Robots Enhance the Well-being of Guests?”. The paper has now been published as a preprint and can be downloaded via arxiv.org/abs/2304.14410. From the abstract: “This paper addresses the question of how bar robots can contribute to the well-being of guests. It first develops the basics of service robots and social robots. It gives a brief overview of which gastronomy robots are on the market. It then presents examples of bar robots and describes two models used in Switzerland. A research project at the School of Business FHNW collected empirical data on them, which is used for this article. The authors then discuss how the robots could be improved to increase the well-being of customers and guests and better address their individual wishes and requirements. Artificial intelligence can play an important role in this. Finally, ethical and social problems in the use of bar robots are discussed and possible solutions are suggested to counter these.” More information on the conference via aaai.org/conference/spring-symposia/sss23/.

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ACI 2023 in North Carolina

The Tenth International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction will be held December 4-8, 2023, in Raleigh, North Carolina, hosted by North Carolina State University. “ACI is the leading International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction. It is a highly multidisciplinary event drawing researchers and practitioners from diverse backgrounds to share and discuss work and topics related to the research and design of computing-enabled and interactive technology for and with animals.” (Website ACI) The Ninth International Conference on Animal-Computer Interaction was held in Newcastle upon Tyne at the end of 2022. Also this year the organizers are interested in a variety of topics in animal-computer interaction and animal-machine interaction, as the call for papers (CfP) reveals: “Submissions might address topics such as: the role of technology in shaping human-animal relationships; studies and/or analysis of large-scale technology for animal deployments; considerations on the wider context of technology for animal use; methods and reflections on studying the next generation of technology for animals; or how to conduct ACI research in a world where commercial design and deployment of technology for animals outpaces academic thought.” (Website ACI) The CfP can be accessed at www.aciconf.org/aci2023.

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ICSR 2023 in Qatar

Next to Robophilosophy, ICSR may be the most important conference on social robotics. The fourteenth edition took place in Florence at the end of 2022 and was dedicated to the health sector. “The 15th International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR 2023) will bring together researchers and practitioners working on the interaction between humans and intelligent robots and on the integration of social robots into our society.  ICSR 2023 will take place in Doha as a face-to-face conference on December 4-7, 2023. This will be the first time that the conference will be hosted in Qatar and in the Middle East and North Africa region.” (Website ICSR) The theme of this year’s ICSR is “Human-Robot Collaboration: Sea, Air, Land, Space and Cyberspace”. According to the organizers, the theme emphasizes on all physical and cyber-physical domains where humans and robots collaborate. Whether Doha is suitable as a venue for the conference needs to be discussed. Qatar is ruled as an absolute monarchy. Sharia law is considered a main source of legislation. The human rights situation in the country has been critical for decades. More information and CfP via icrs.iovision.tn.

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Bar Robots for Well-being of Guests

From March 27-29, 2023, the AAAI 2023 Spring Symposia will feature the symposium “Socially Responsible AI for Well-being” by Takashi Kido (Teikyo University, Japan) and Keiki Takadama (The University of Electro-Communications, Japan). The venue is usually Stanford University. For staffing reasons, this year the conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco. On March 28, Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel and Lea Peier will present their paper “How Can Bar Robots Enhance the Well-being of Guests?”. From the abstract: “This paper addresses the question of how bar robots can contribute to the well-being of guests. It first develops the basics of service robots and social robots. It gives a brief overview of which gastronomy robots are on the market. It then presents examples of bar robots and describes two models used in Switzerland. A research project at the School of Business FHNW collected empirical data on them, which is used for this article. The authors then discuss how the robots could be improved to increase the well-being of customers and guests and better address their individual wishes and requirements. Artificial intelligence can play an important role in this. Finally, ethical and social problems in the use of bar robots are discussed and possible solutions are suggested to counter these.” More Information via aaai.org/conference/spring-symposia/sss23/.

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Students Get Excited about Social Robots

From February 16 to 18, 2023, the elective module “Soziale Roboter aus technischer, wirtschaftlicher und ethischer Sicht” (“Social Robots from a Technical, Economic and Ethical Perspective”) took place at the Brugg-Windisch campus of the School of Business FHNW. The approximately 30 students came from the Basel, Olten, and Brugg-Windisch campuses and from the International Management, Business Informatics, and Business Administration degree programs. Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel first taught them the basics of robotics and social robotics. In addition, there were excursions into service robotics, proving the thesis that this is increasingly influenced by social robotics: Transport robots and serving robots are getting eyes and mouths, security robots natural language capabilities. In addition, ethical considerations were made, for which empirical foundations had previously been developed. Also present were Pepper, NAO, Alpha Mini, Cozmo and Hugvie, and for a short time little EMO. Guest lectures came from Marc Heimann (CARE-MOMO) and from Lea Peier (barrobots in Switzerland). The students were highly motivated and in the end designed their own social robots with different tasks in group work. This was the third implementation of the elective module and the first at the Brugg-Windisch site. In November 2023, the fourth will take place at the Olten site.

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How Customers React to Bar Robots

As part of the AAAI 2023 Spring Symposia in San Francisco, the symposium “Socially Responsible AI for Well-being” is organized by Takashi Kido (Teikyo University, Japan) and Keiki Takadama (The University of Electro-Communications, Japan). The paper “How Can Bar Robots Enhance the Well-being of Guests?” by Oliver Bendel and Lea K. Peier was accepted. Among other things, they show how customers in Switzerland react to bar robots. The talk will take place between March 26 and 29, 2023 at Hyatt Regency, San Francisco Airport. The symposium website states: “For our happiness, AI is not enough to be productive in exponential growth or economic/financial supremacies but should be socially responsible from the viewpoint of fairness, transparency, accountability, reliability, safety, privacy, and security. For example, AI diagnosis system should provide responsible results (e.g., a high-accuracy of diagnostics result with an understandable explanation) but the results should be socially accepted (e.g., data for AI (machine learning) should not be biased (i.e., the amount of data for learning should be equal among races and/or locations). Like this example, a decision of AI affects our well-being, which suggests the importance of discussing ‘What is socially responsible?’ in several potential situations of well-being in the coming AI age.” (Website AAAI) According to the organizers, the first perspective is “(Individually) Responsible AI”, which aims to clarify what kinds of mechanisms or issues should be taken into consideration to design Responsible AI for well-being. The second perspective is “Socially Responsible AI”, which aims to clarify what kinds of mechanisms or issues should be taken into consideration to implement social aspects in Responsible AI for well-being. More information via www.aaai.org/Symposia/Spring/sss23.php#ss09.

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Atlas Finally has Hands

“Boston Dynamics just released the latest demo of its humanoid robot, Atlas. The robot could already run and jump over complex terrain thanks to its feet. Now, the robot has hands, per se. These rudimentary grippers give the robot new life. Suddenly, instead of being an agile pack mule, the Atlas becomes something closer to a human, with the ability to pick up and drop off anything it can grab independently.” (TechCrunch, January 18, 2023) This was reported by TechCrunch on January 18, 2023. Hands are actually very important for Atlas. The humanoid robot could now pick up or move heavy objects on a construction site. But it could also take care of trapped or injured animals in a nature park, freeing them or providing them with food and water. Such visions have been described by robot ethicist and machine ethicist Oliver Bendel for some time. A video released on January 18, 2023 shows the grippers picking up construction lumber and a nylon tool bag. “Next, the Atlas picks up a 2×8 and places it between two boxes to form a bridge. The Atlas then picks up a bag of tools and dashes over the bridge and through construction scaffolding. But the tool bag needs to go to the second level of the structure – something Atlas apparently realized and quickly throws the bag a considerable distance.” (TechCrunch, January 18, 2023) At the end of the video, Atlas does a somersault and then extends its hand – its brand new hand – triumphantly.