Scientists let robots share knowledge via online ‘robot brain’

With the help of funds from major internet companies, scientists have started developing a ‘robot brain’. This brain gives robots worldwide access to a huge knowledge base, enabling them to better understand the world around them.

The knowledge base is being developed by researchers from a number of American universities led by roboticist Ashutosh Saxena. They have received money from Google, Microsoft and Qualcomm, among others, to develop a so-called ‘robot brain’. In the long run, robots must be able to retrieve all kinds of information about the ‘human world’ from this knowledge base, in order to subsequently interpret this knowledge and convert it into actions.

To fill the necessary database for the robot brain, it started processing 1 billion images, 120,000 YouTube clips and 100 million manuals and written instructions. Ultimately, the knowledge base should develop into a ‘Google for computers’.

The process of structured deep learning is important when building the knowledge base. Countless layers of abstraction are applied to an object and actions. Robots must then correctly interpret this tree structure in order to be able to make the right choices.

The robot brain can be used free of charge via a website. Robots can request information wirelessly and also upload their own ‘knowledge’ to the knowledge base. Volunteers can also contribute knowledge and correct mistakes. The first robots are now making use of the knowledge already present in the robot brain. In addition, the robot brain has the potential to significantly reduce the costs of building robots, because less code needs to be written.