Hardware Podcasts

Episode Four - Robot Senses: perceiving the world

Robot Talk · 29 Jan 2021 · 34m · Episode 4

AI in practice: 3 real uses of AI described

What this episode covers

Matt Watson of Opteran Technologies explains how reverse-engineering honeybee brains enables efficient, low-power collision avoidance and SLAM, contrasting this with the high compute demands of supervised deep learning. Dr. Perla Maiolino of the Oxford Robotics Institute discusses CySkin, a flexible, large-area artificial skin using capacitive triangular modules for tactile perception and manipulation. Dr. Dimitrios Kanoulas of UCL addresses the challenge of fusing multi-sensor data (LiDAR, cameras, IMUs) to handle uncertainty and real-time planning in dynamic, unstructured environments.

AI in practice

Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.

Engineering & simulationOpteran Technologies

The team reverse-engineered algorithms from honeybee brains to create collision avoidance and navigation systems for autonomous drones, allowing them to map environments and navigate safely without heavy cloud dependency.

“So what we've recently released and starting to integrate with partners is our collision avoidance and navigation algorithm. So we're trying to use what we've learned from the bee brain to create the algorithms required to let a autonomous robot move safely in the world.”

Speaker 2 · Hear it at 7:23

Engineering & simulationCySkin Technology

Researchers developed a flexible printed circuit board made of interconnected triangular modules to create artificial skin that provides distributed tactile sensing, allowing robots to detect pressure and conform to various shapes.

“So what we did was to take inspiration from computer graphic and the fact that usually 3D shape are modeled by using triangular mesh and redesign like a flexible printed circuit board. Right. That was made by interconnected triangular module, and each triangular module could ask up to 12 capacitors that actually are transducer that provide any information of the pressure that is applied on top of the sensor.”

Speaker 3 · Hear it at 18:09

Engineering & simulationStanford artificial skinsense a fly

Researchers developed an artificially sensitive skin capable of detecting minute vibrations, specifically demonstrating the ability to sense a fly landing on the surface.

“For example, I remember like uh, uh, sometimes ago, um, I think it was from, from Stanford, they developed this uh, uh, artificial skin. Of course, it was a little bit limited in terms of the large area, but they were able to produce this artificial skin that could actually sense a fly.”

Speaker 3 · Hear it at 23:08

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Opteran Technologies, Oxford Robotics Institute, University College London
Products
CySkin
Tools
LiDAR

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