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a head, tail, eyes and ears were a good idea!

There’s a spectrum between cute and creepy when it comes to robot dogs. Sony Aibo: cute. Boston Dynamics SpotMini: creepy. We’ve finally discovered some middle ground: Florida Atlantic University’s Astro. 

Astro is a four-legged robodog that responds to voice commands. He can move forward, stop and sit on command and doesn’t have the urge to go chase squirrels. The robot’s anatomy mimics that of its real-life canine inspiration. “Astro is unique because he is the only one of these robots with a head, 3D-printed to resemble a Doberman pinscher, that contains a (computerized) brain,” said its human “parents”.  

Equipped with sensors, high-tech radar imaging, cameras and a directional microphone, this 100-pound super robot is still a “puppy-in-training”.

 

Eventually, a really cute robot dog

Astro is trying to think like a dog thanks to artificial intelligence and deep learning technology in his computer “brain.” The research team behind the robodog wants to teach him to respond to hand signals, colors and multiple languages while also recognizing different people.

Astro not only looks like a dog; he learns like one too. That’s because he doesn’t operate based on preprogrammed robotic automation. Instead, Astro is being trained using inputs to a deep neural network—a computerized simulation of a brain—so that he can learn from experience to perform human-like tasks, or on his case, “doggie-like” tasks, that benefit humanity.

The uses for a robot like Astro are many. He could sniff out explosives residue for law enforcement, act as a service dog or be an assistant for first responders

The robots are coming

Take a look at which other “pets” researchers have come up with

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Meet the most amazing selection of robots and robotic device at Maker Faire Rome – the European Edition 2019, October 18 to 20 in Rome. 
#EarlyBird tickets are now on sale, get yours!

 

Souce: Techxplore I CNet