Robot dogs, of the non Aibo variety, have been surfacing quite a bit in the news as of late. Picked up a bit of news forwarded to me by a reader today out of Georgia Tech. It’s a bit old at this point, but still interesting:
Service dogs, invaluable companions providing assistance to physically impaired individuals, are an elite and desired breed. Their presence in a home can make everyday tasks that are difficult - if not impossible - achievable, enhancing the quality of life for the disabled.
Yet with a cost averaging $16,000 per dog – not to mention the two years of training required to hone these skills – the demand for these canines’ exceeds their availability.
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have engineered a biologically inspired robot that mirrors the actions of sought-after service dogs. Users verbally command the robot to complete a task and the robot responds once a basic laser pointer illuminates the location of the desired action.
All in all, it’s a great advancement for all involved. Often times, the waiting list for a service animal can be upwards of eight years. There’s no word on when these robots will be available for public consumption, but one would assume it’ll be quicker than that.
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