Researchers at Northwestern University have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system that can intelligently design robots from scratch. Unlike other artificial intelligence systems that require high-powered computers and large data sets, this lightweight AI program can create new structures on a regular PC. The researchers asked the AI to design a robot that could walk on a flat surface, and within seconds the AI created a successful walking robot with legs and hind fins.
Traditionally, the robot design process required weeks of trial and error on supercomputers. However, this AI program drastically reduces design time, and the process from a shapeless block to a walking robot on a laptop takes just 26 seconds. The AI handled the design process autonomously, identifying flaws and updating the structure with each attempt, eventually creating a robot that could walk half its body length per second.
To bring the AI-designed robot to life, the researchers 3D printed a negative space mold around the robot’s body and then filled it with liquid silicone rubber. When the silicone had hardened, the body of the robot was flexible enough. By filling the rubber robot’s body with air and then releasing it, the legs expanded and contracted, resulting in a form of locomotion.
Researchers believe that this AI program is a new era of AI-engineered tools that can have a direct impact on the world. While the current robot’s capabilities are limited to walking, the potential for future tools created by this program is vast. For example, similar robots can navigate through debris to identify trapped people or diagnose problems in sewage systems.
The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Sources:
– Northwestern University
– Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
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2023-10-07 13:40:54
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