Why Robots Still Can’t Outpace Nature: Exploring the Key Reasons

New Research Reveals Why Robots Still Can’t Outpace Nature

In recent years, advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence have been impressive, but a new study has shed light on why robots still can’t outperform the best that nature has to offer. By comparing robots to animals in categories like power, frame, actuation, sensing, and control, researchers have found that it’s not that our most advanced robots are lacking in any one area, but rather that we haven’t quite figured out how to integrate all these elements as effectively as evolution has.

Mechanical engineer Kaushik Jayaram from the University of Colorado Boulder explains, “At the system level, robots are not as good. We run into inherent design trade-offs. If we try to optimize for one thing, like forward speed, we might lose out on something else, like turning ability.”

The study also highlights the importance of animals’ ability to sense and adapt to their environment, something that robots still struggle with. While robots may excel in certain areas like power, they lack the integrated functionality of sensory information that animals possess.

The researchers suggest that focusing on building ‘functional subunits’ that combine different elements like power, sensing, and movement could be key to creating more flexible and nimble robots. This approach could help explore negative tradeoffs and potential emergent properties, ultimately closing the gap between robots and animals.

Despite the advancements in engineering over the years, Jayaram expresses frustration that robots still fall short of biological systems in natural environments. The research, published in Science Robotics, serves as a reminder of the complexity and efficiency of nature’s design, pushing engineers to strive for greater innovation in robotics.