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The "Bionic Woman" NASA Intelligent Robots

The "Bionic Woman" NASA uses artificial intelligence to teach robots what to do to behave more like human explorers.

May 29, 2001 - Ayanna Howard may never set foot on Mars, or lead a mission to Jupiter, but the work she is doing on robots "smart" help, however to revolutionize planetary exploration.
As Project Scientist, specializing in artificial intelligence Propulsion Laboratory NASA's Jet (JPL), Ayanna is part of a group that applies creative energy to a new generation of space missions - exploring the surface of planets and the Moon for autonomous robots able to "think" for themselves themselves.
Up: You may not resemble the android Data from Star Trek, but in future robotic explorers as it possess artificial intelligence that enable them to explore the terrain without human supervision. Image courtesy of JPL.
To receive breaking science news, subscribe here Almost all robotic spacecraft used today are inflexible in how they respond to the difficulties encountered (an important exception is the Deep Space 1 that uses artificial intelligence technology.) These robots can only perform activities that are explicitly written is the software or through instructions sent via radio by a human controller on Earth.
During the exploration of unknown planets, a million miles from Earth, this variety of robot, such as "dog obedience" requires constant attention from humans. In comparison, the ultimate goal of Ayanna and her colleagues is to "put a robot on Mars and let him work alone without direct human intervention."
"We want instructing the robot to think about possible obstacles you may encounter, just as you would an astronaut in the same situation, "he says." Our job is to help the robot to think in more logical terms about turn right or left, not just a few degrees of rotation. "
How can a robot can make decisions like a human?
Scientists have developed appropriate techniques, learning ability and visual observation of humans.
The Humans do not have a rule book or a program that check for every move you make, write Ayanna - we are much more clever than that.'s work his group is designing robots that can emulate, not just the thought process and analysis of humans in determining the characteristics of the land, but also the human ability to drive a vehicle in real time.
Above: Ayanna Howard received a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California, specializing in artificial intelligence and robotics. He has worked at JPL since 1993.