German electronics firm, Obeta, has a new AI robot that overcomes current limitations by picking objects of various shapes and sizes from warehouse shelves. The smart robot was designed by California company, Covariant.
To accomplish this breakthrough the technology combines six lenses to “see” and machine learning. It relies not on direct programming of every move, but on teaching itself how to grasp objects even if it has never “seen” them before. It learns through trial and error. After thousands of hours of simulations, the robot learns how to adapt to diverse circumstances.
According to Covariant, their robot can work 24 hours a day, a boon to warehouse and logistics companies.
Knapp, one of those companies headquartered in Austria, was said to be pleased by the Covariant AI robot’s ability to solve tasks that others couldn’t.
In his book, AI Super-Powers: China, Silicon Valley and the New World Order, Kai-Fu Lee predicted that work requiring high levels of dexterity and unstructured environments will be safe from automation. This development challenges his prediction.