Many times robots and their creators are criticized for developing mostly impractical, complex solutions. But that charge has to be dropped after the team at the University of Pennsylvania’s GRASP Lab turned the PR2 robot into a “pooper scooper.”
Their new research project has been named “Perception Of Offensive Products and Sensorized Control Of Object Pickup” or “POOP SCOOP,” for short. The PR2 robot can actually recognize and pick up POOPs, after which they get dropped in a bucket.
“Along with fetching food and drinks and folding our laundry, this accomplishment solidifies PR2’s place as the best domestic robot helper imaginable,” according to a report from Popsci.com.
Willow Garage recently announced the availability of the PR2 Robot, which TMCnet described as “the world’s most advanced personal robot platform.”
Ben Cohen and colleagues at the GRASP Lab at the University of Pennsylvania devoted a weekend to programming the PR2 robot, known as Graspy, to find, pick up, and discard POOPs.
“The purpose of the research is for the PR2 to clear the POOP out of an open field,” Cohen said in a video posted on You Tube. “The first step of the procedure is the sensing. The PR2 will explore the field, and sense all the POOP’s locations within the field. Then once it locates the POOP, the PR2 will drive toward it and start the scooping procedure. The scooping procedure includes the PR2 using a store-bought scooper to scoop up the POOP and drop it in a bucket. The PR2 is capable of sensing whether it successfully scooped the POOP and put in the bucket.”
Graspy can successfully scoop POOP some 95 percent of the time during more than 100 trials, according to Ieee Spectrum. It was also able to accomplish the tasks with over one poop a minute, the Spectrum (News - Alert) adds.
Ed Silverstein is a TMCnet contributor. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by
Jennifer Russell
