Researchers have been tinkering around with robots for quite some time now and these man-made machines are capable of very human-like tasks. However, it takes a lot of effort to get these robots to do what we want them to. It requires a lot of programming to get a robot to move in a complex way. Now, some researchers are trying to make it easier by using sensors on robots to learn new moves by just showing it what you want it to do.
Using special inertial sensors and a special algorithm, the robots can detect movements in free space. The process is simpler and less labor intensive than using camera-based approaches or laser tracking, and can be done without a frame of reference. Basically it’ll be a much simpler affair overall – users just demonstrate what they want to be done, and the robots will copy.
In the future, they plan to pair the technology with EMG sensors to detect muscle movement in order to improve how prosthetic limbs work. In no time, we’ll have copy cat robots walking the streets, or at the very least, robots that are indistinguishable from humans based on how they move.