How AI and “Physical Intelligence” Are Supercharging Robot Autonomy
Today’s news briefs contain equal measures of dire warnings and exciting developments in the field of AI. Yet, while any technology should be treated with care — with great power comes great responsibility, as Spiderman’s uncle famously said — it is imperative for humanity to make the most of these cutting-edge innovations for the betterment of all.
You can’t put the genie back in the bottle, after all, and with so many curative benefits on the horizon, why would we want to? What happens when you combine AI with real-time sensor data and learning on the job? In a phrase, you get “physical AI,” aka physical intelligence.
What Is Physical Intelligence?
While a simple term, physical intelligence represents a sea change in robotics, which was formerly controlled by the necessity of inflexible directives and precise conditions. Physical intelligence is developing at a great pace and offering incredible promise. In today’s post, let’s take a look at exactly how physical intelligence is helping robotics technicians bridge the gap between theory and practice and add value to the field overall.
Why Does Physical Intelligence Matter?
What happens when you combine AI with real-time sensor data and learning on the job? In a phrase, you get “physical AI,” aka physical intelligence. While a simple term, physical intelligence represents a sea change in robotics, which was formerly controlled by the necessity of inflexible directives and precise conditions.
With learning capabilities, AI-driven systems can now address issues right there on the factory floor, in the power plant, or at the research lab. Every time a physically intelligent robot encounters a problem and uses its learning capacity to solve the problem without human intervention, companies minimize downtime and maximize dollars.
Not only that, but such systems also help ensure that a robotics technician is called in only when necessary, saving their skill for situations where it’s truly required. And with each problem solved in this manner, robots hone their skills and become capable of lifting the load from humanity … freeing us to do work that stretches our own capability and imagination as a species.
AI and Sensors: The Perfect Marriage
So how exactly does physical intelligence work? While the systems are, of course, incredibly intricate, the process relies on a few basic processes: sensors to interact with the world; artificial intelligence to make decisions based on accruing data; and actuators to move robots accordingly.
Using these concurrent technologies, robotics engineers and technicians are helping some of the oldest problems faced by industrial civilization: staying healthier, getting around faster, and manufacturing more precisely, among others.
Applications for Physical Intelligence
It’s not enough to understand the five primary areas of robotics: We must also comprehend how they can be applied by a robotics technician (or anyone else in the field).
While the following list isn’t definitive, it contains five of the most important applications for physical intelligence: accurate measurement, precise manufacturing, speedy assembling, quality control, and effective maintenance.
Metrology
Metrology, or the science of measurement, depends on ever-increasing precision. With the production of ultrathin materials and shrinking chip size, for instance, it’s necessary to calculate and calibrate at a level of detail so fine that humans cannot hope to achieve it themselves.
As a robotics technician knows, it is machines that will do this job for us … but only if they have the capacity offered by physical intelligence.
Machining
As a robotics technician, you learn to help robots manipulate physical systems more effectively. Just as measurement helps add to this efficacy, so does machining need extremely accurate systems guiding it. Intelligent robots not only help ensure precision in manufacturing, but they also adapt to challenges on the go.
This has applications for healthcare, transportation, STEM industries, and so much more. Letting robots work in physical environments, gather data, and apply it — not always successfully, as is the nature of learning — can help them achieve the mental acuity to solve problems better and faster.
Assembly and Quality Control
The robotics technician is often called in when something goes wrong, but what if physical intelligence could save them the trouble? As robot fleets increasingly dominate industry and R&D, it’s important that robotics technicians are able to use their time wisely … which is where physical AI provides a major assist.
By applying sensors and learning to assembly processes, robotic systems can predict and prevent quality control issues on the go. Each time they’re successful, they can integrate that new knowledge into their subroutines and apply it next time. And as they report the knowledge gained, each robotics technician has that much more intel to work with on the job.
Maintenance
Any good robotics technician knows how important it is to keep machines up and running, in good shape, with minimum downtime. Formerly, human-led preventative maintenance was the best way to do that.
With physical intelligence’s learning and sensor-based capabilities, however, that’s changing. It’s ever more possible to leave the maintenance to AI when, and only when, it’s needed — keeping the fleet up and running as much as possible. Now, robotics technicians can partner with AI for a brighter future.
Play a Role in the Future of Physical Intelligence
Are you ready to help the field of robotics expand, make your mark, and create a lucrative future for yourself at the same time? If so, consider earning a certificate and becoming a robotics technician to help maintain systems that rely on physical intelligence. We invite you to check out the complete Robotics Technician Training Program outline to learn more today!