Roommate Robots Work Together Well

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Robots might be genius at chess but can they work together to make a typical Bavarian breakfast? Scientists at Munich Technical University have created "roommate" robots that can learn from experience and understand the consequences of their actions.

Friction in the kitchen? Not with these two buddies.

Robot roommates Rosie and James cook together like clock-work.

But this is more than just clever programming - this is real-time teamwork.

Professor Michael Beetz from Munich Technical University says everyday domestic routines are surprisingly complex for machines.

But his team have developed robots which understand the consequences of their actions.

[Professor Michael Beetz, Computer Science, Munich Technical University]:
''What cognitive systems do is they apply learning from experience, reasoning and prediction of the consequences of actions in order to decide by themselves on how to exactly carry out the actions.''

Rosie and James have sensors and perception algorithms that work in much the same way as a human brain.

Rosie has learned the dimensions of the cooking pots so she can find them anywhere on the table.

But if she makes a mistake - about the depth of the sausages in a pan of hot water for example - torque sensors will tell her and she'll make the necessary adjustments.

Professor Beetz says it's about enabling robots to conduct everyday tasks as efficiently possible.

And while Rosie and James may not have real emotions, they can see where they've gone wrong - and, unlike some humans, learn from their mistakes.