Despite the fact that Facebook is a high-tech company, few associate it with robots. However, the company's research division is conducting various experiments in the field of robotics, trying to advance its own research related to artificial intelligence technologies.
Large technology companies often use a similar strategy. Many companies, including Google, NVIDIA and Amazon, are using robots in their research activities to develop AI technologies. In the process of research, specialists create a special environment that allows accelerating the learning process of robotic mechanisms.
The Facebook study is large enough that it can be divided into several components. In the first stage, the researchers made the six-legged robot learn on its own through trial and error. As a result, he learned to interact with the controllers, which allowed him to move around. Next, the researchers tapped into "curiosity" to help the robot learn faster. After that, it was possible to develop a kind of sense of touch in the mechanism, which allowed the device to roll the ball on its own.
It is worth saying that none of the mentioned works is a breakthrough. Similar experiments are carried out by researchers from different institutes and laboratories. However, it is worth noting that the Facebook research laboratory, known as FAIR, continues to develop this direction. The company believes that the research division should be ready for the emergence of new services and products, including robots. Knowing how a hardware solution can be tied together with an AI system will be very useful, as it will help the company to create new products.
Source: 3dnews.ru