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A form of data bank for robots could be the next step into an automated future.
According to the BBC, European scientists have begun a project in which robots can store their knowledge for other robots to use, whether it is how to complete a task, or just general knowledge.
‘RoboEarth’ has been called a robot equivalent to Wikipedia, as robots can upload and download information, similar to the collaborative encyclopaedia.
It is hoped that robots can come into service quickly with this new information store, as they can learn from their fellow androids about humans and as they come across problems, or something they do not understand, they can refer to RoboEarth for help.
There is a current worry that there are no industry-wide standards happening with robot technology, as RoboEarth researcher Dr Markus Waibel from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich commented: “Most current robots see the world their own way, there is very little standardisation going on”.
He also added that “The key is allowing robots to share knowledge. That’s really new.”
The project is EU funded and currently has 35 researchers working on it. They hope to be able to demonstrate it in four years, when the project is set to end.
