New Mars Forums

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,383

Robot Equipment on Mars

This topic is offered for specific applications of robots on Mars.

The lead off item is about the decision by a major distribution chain on Earth to pull back from use of robots for stock management.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/youll-n … 13963.html

John Quinn
Fri, November 6, 2020 7:41 PM ET
Walmart, the world's largest retailer, is consistently at the forefront of the latest in shopping technology. And while the company recently announced that they'd be delivering groceries via drone in the near future, another technological advancement has proven less successful. After trying them out in stores over the last three years, Walmart has abandoned plans to have robot staff working the aisles at its stores. Read on for the details on what went wrong, and for more on when you shouldn't do your weekly shopping trip, read up on the This Is the Absolute Worst Time to Shop at Walmart, Employees Say.

While it sounds far-fetched and futuristic, like something out of The Jetsons, the planned employment of robots had begun to be rolled out in 500 stores, where they scanned the shelves and automatically checked stock levels. A promotional video from Bossa Nova Robotics, which developed the technology, showed the Walmart robots also having the functionality to check prices and find misplaced items. The six-foot tall robotic operatives, which were first introduced to stores in 2017, looked somewhat like a home dehumidifier with a periscope attachment on top. Now, however, the partnership with Bossa Nova Robotics has ended, The Wall Street Journal was the first to report.

Robots like the ones described above would seem (to me at least) highly desirable for Mars, where no human would be available for labor at this level.

(th)

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,383

Re: Robot Equipment on Mars

The movie "Passengers" included a number of applications of robots to attend to the needs of the humans.

The AI bartender is the most familiar example, but the ship's computer itself was probably an AI, although I don't recall any mention of that idea.

There were floor cleaning robots, and there had to have been robot equipment involved in food preparation.

Everything imagined (along these lines) by the movie producers would seem to me applicable to support of a human community on Mars.

(th)

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Robot Equipment on Mars

Sure a robotic Bartender for conversation in AI control seems to be a good use of a computerized machine but the remaining functions are a command structure look up table for what drink is desired to be made is more automated as its program is not self evolving as a conversation would be. The task is very specific towards the out come and the drink is just a single output type while the conversation is all types and is very flexible for its output.
Sensors for position are program interrupted but are not going to be for multiple out comes but are limited for the response that it would do when its an automated machine.
The current level of machines can be quite confusing until you look at what it can do then you realize that its just a robotic automation and not truly AI at all..

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Robot Equipment on Mars

Now they have the running guard dog and the robot that jumps...
Hyundai confirms its $1.1 billion acquisition of Boston Dynamics

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,383

Re: Robot Equipment on Mars

For SpaceNut re #4

Thanks for posting this news!

I like the synergy implied by this merger. 

My guess is that the venture underwriters who carried the company this far will be well compensated for the risks they took.

On the other hand, Hyundai's deep pockets should insure development of equipment that will increase human productivity over time.

Edit:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/hyundai-moto … 35284.html

Hyundai Motor to buy robot maker Boston Dynamics
Fri, December 11, 2020 7:19 AM ET
It’s the company behind the strangely lifelike four-legged robots. Now Boston Dynamics is about to get a new owner. Hyundai Motor is buying an 80% stake in the U.S.-based firm from Japan’s SoftBank Group. The deal values the robot maker at 1.1 billion dollars. Boston Dynamics creations have tried everything from herding sheep, to sniffing out radiation in Chernobyl. This year the’ve even enforced social distancing: “Let's keep Singapore healthy. For your own safety, and for those around you, please stand at least one meter apart.” The firm has, however, struggled to build a commercial business. Now Hyundai sees an opportunity. It wants to use the robot technology to expand automation at its unionised car plants. The tech could also play a role in designing self-driving cars, drones and delivery robots. Hyundai says it sees robotics making up a fifth of its future business. Analysts say the challenge will be to show Boston Dynamics can be a money maker, and compete with cheaper Chinese rivals. The company was spun out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992. It was later bought by Google, before being taken over by SoftBank in 2017.

(th)

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Robot Equipment on Mars

This topic is an AI related item which can be develop into a business opportunity for mars with many related products that could be governed by the limited AI which they would contain.

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,776

Re: Robot Equipment on Mars

Excavator?

ISRU Pilot Excavator Digs Simulated Lunar Regolith
https://spaceref.com/newspace-and-tech/ … -regolith/

Excavator will use a gravity assist offload system to simulate reduced gravity conditions found on the Moon. On the surface of the Moon, mining robots like the Pilot Excavator will excavate the regolith and take the material to a processing plant where usable elements such as hydrogen, oxygen and water can be extracted for life support systems.