What is a robot?

General Discussions
1

Just read a post by “The god of ROS navigation”:

We’ve started by showing how you can use Ryzen AI to power your autonomous robotics products in a variety of real-world and challenging situations. These devices contain the powerful, modern AMD x86 CPUs you know and love, married with a Radeon GPU, Neutral Processing Unit (NPU), and more to run hardware accelerated and AI applications on your robot products.

“on your robot products” … guessing all that won’t fit on top of a GoPiGo3 or within the power budget of a GoPiGo3 robot.

2 Likes
2

That depends on your “product”.

Something for the latest DARPA desert challenge with a bottomless budget?  Quite possibly.

A Donkey Car implementation?  Maybe, just maybe - depending on how big the “donkey” is and what power budget you have.

Something a bit smaller, like a GoPiGo?  Fuggeddaboutit!

If we had robots, (and budgets!), big enough to fit the innards of a full-size PC into, we wouldn’t be talking here!
:rofl:

2 Likes
3

I wouldn’t want them loose in my home, no matter how “smart” them “autonomous” robots become.

My house is huge, when it needs attention. My house is tiny all other times. No room for roaming refrigerators.

1 Like
4

Didn’t we discuss the whole “what is a robot” thing awhile back?

IMHO, a “robot” isn’t necessarily dependent on how fancy the processor is, how much it cost, or how esceroteric the electronics are.

Rather, it should be a programmable device that is capable of independent motion and decision making, depending on the complexity of the software and the task to be accomplished.

The GoPiGo qualifies as a robot, despite the fact that it can run under direct remote control, because it can run independently too.

On the other hand, a RC car, plane, drone or other device that depends on human guidance and control doesn’t qualify.

What say ye?

2 Likes
5

Isn’t necessarily, but becoming the same question as “What is a phone?”… (Not necessarily, but commonly “a ____ with a neural processing unit”)

Carl doesn’t have one, and is still a robot, but…
GoPi5Go-Dave has a camera with a 4 TOPS neural processor.
(The Raspberry Pi AI Hat is a 13 TOPS neural processor for my hypothetical “GoPi5Go-E____* Robot” )

And Microsoft has recently redefined what is a personal computer: (“Copilot+ PC standard of at least 40 TOPS of neural compute power”)

Like asking “what is a phone?” in 1849, 1949, 2000, 2007, and today, asking “what is a robot?” today seems to be “Not necessarily, but commonly a ____ with a neural processing unit.”

* Minion names starting with E: Edgar · Edward · Elijah · Elvis · Eric · Ernest · Ethan · Euchariah

(Not leaving the door open for Elijah…)

2 Likes