AI-Equipped Robots Develop Situational Awareness in Earth's Most Uncertain Environment

Algorithms created at Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey can teach robots to adapt to changing conditions related to protecting and preserving underwater infrastructure. Researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey have created algorithms to teach robots to adapt to changing conditions related to protecting and preserving underwater infrastructure. Stevens' Brendan Englot leads a group that uses reinforcement learning algorithms trained on sonar data. The group's robots emit high-frequency chirps and measure how long it takes the sound to return after reflecting off surrounding structures, gathering data and acquiring situational awareness while various forces buffet them. The research team recently dispatched a robot to autonomously map a Manhattan pier without a prior model.