What to Tell the Robot
Robots, Space, and Time
AI is Robotics; Robotics is AI
A robot has three parts: 1) sensors 2) computers 3) actuators. We believe that any truly intelligent system must be a robot in this sense: it must be processing hi-frequency, high-dimensional sensory input from the world, processing that input with its compute, and then outputting actuation commands. A robot is embedded in space and time: perception information is spatially grounded and temporally transient. Acting in the world requires the compute to quickly and accurately process perception information in order to make “good” decisions about actuation.
1. Why this, why now
David and Stefanie collaborated to write a book chapter for George Konidaris’ book Designing an Intelligence. We came to realize we are at a critical moment in the field of robotics. We believe that robotics is the grand challenge of AI, and we want to engage a broader audience in discussions about technology, safety, and what it takes to build a truly intelligent robot.
2. What kind of community are you looking to build here?
We are looking to create a community for discussion, brainstorming, and learning about robotics. Ask us questions, and tell us why we are wrong!
3. Posting Schedule
We plan to post roughly once a week, and all the posts will be visible to everyone.