Artificial Intelligence Made Big Moves This Year
From Silicon Valley to India, Boston to Japan, here are some of the autonomous machines and robotics technologies, powered by NVIDIA AI, that offered helping hands in 2024.
Clearbot Tidies Up Ocean Litter
Hong Kong- and India-based Clearbot, a member of the NVIDIA Inception program for cutting-edge startups, is making a splash with its autonomous trash-collection boats enabled by the NVIDIA Jetson platform for edge AI and robotics.
[Image: Clearbot autonomous trash-collection boats]
With plastic making up at least 85% of marine waste across the globe, Clearbot aims to remove waste from waterways before it gets into the seas. The startup’s autonomous ocean vessels are equipped with two cameras – one for navigation and another for waste identification of what boats have scooped up.
Figure Unveils Latest Humanoid Robot
Silicon Valley-based Figure introduced its Figure 02 conversational humanoid robot that taps into the NVIDIA Omniverse platform and accelerated computing for fully autonomous tasks.
[Video: Figure 02 humanoid robot]
New human-scale hands, six RGB cameras, and perception AI models trained with synthetic data generated in the NVIDIA Isaac Sim robotics developer simulation platform enable Figure 02 to perform high-precision pick-and-place tasks required for smart manufacturing applications.
ORBIT-Surgical Researchers Prep Robots for Surgery
The ORBIT-Surgical simulation framework – developed by researchers from the University of Toronto, UC Berkeley, ETH Zürich, Georgia Tech, and NVIDIA – helps train robots that could augment the skills of surgical teams while reducing surgeons’ cognitive loads.
[Video: ORBIT-Surgical simulation framework]
It supports more than a dozen maneuvers inspired by the training curriculum for minimally invasive surgeries.
Zordi Robots Grow Strawberries Indoors
Boston-based autonomous agriculture startup Zordi – with farms in southern New Jersey and western New York – is tapping into robotics to grow strawberries indoors.
[Image: Zordi’s autonomous greenhouse systems]
Autonomous greenhouse systems can support regional markets across the globe, cutting down on the carbon footprint for transportation and providing fresher, better-tasting fruits grown more sustainably.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence made big moves this year, and robotics technologies are catching up fast. With AI-powered machines and autonomous systems, we’re seeing innovative solutions to real-world problems. From ocean litter to surgical procedures, agriculture, and more, AI is playing a critical role in shaping the future of various industries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is NVIDIA’s role in the development of AI-powered robotics?
A: NVIDIA provides the necessary computing power and AI technologies to enable the development of AI-powered robots.
Q: What are some examples of AI-powered robotics in action?
A: Some examples include Clearbot’s autonomous trash-collection boats, Figure’s humanoid robot, ORBIT-Surgical’s surgical simulation framework, and Zordi’s autonomous greenhouse systems.
Q: How is AI being used in robotics?
A: AI is being used in robotics to enable tasks such as object recognition, motion planning, and control, allowing robots to perform complex tasks with greater precision and accuracy.
