Yuval Ne’eman Workshop: Robots – Mankind’s Future
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עברית (Hebrew)
Science Minister Ya’akov Perry: “The future of mankind is robotics” * Professor Yitzhak Ben-Israel: “Cyber will the the main Israeli focus for the next few years”
“The future of mankind is in robotics, and it’s important for Israel to be a leader in the field,” this according to Israeli Science, Technology and Space Minister Ya’akov Perry, in his opening address at the “Israeli Robotics Innovation” conference held as part of Tel Aviv University’s Yuval Ne’eman Workshop for Science, Technology and Security.
Minister Perry devoted his address to robotics as an important element of science education for youths, and said that this scientific field can bring teenagers closer to science. “A young man who is deeply afraid of mathematics, physics and chemistry can warm up to these fields through robotics, because he has to study the mechanics responsible for operating the robot’s arm.”
Director of the Yuval Ne’eman Workshop, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Professor Yitzhak Ben-Israel, stated that Tel Aviv University opened its new Cyber center this week, combining research and academic study. Hr added that “cyber will probably be Israel’s main focus for the next few years.”
Professor Doron Havatzelet, head of the Protection, C4I and Cognition Branch at MAFAT (the Israeli Ministry of Defense R&D division), talked about robotic autonomous capabilities. In his address he explained that in the early days of robotics machines knew how to do one thing and one thing only. Today robots are required to be much more autonomous – humanoid robots that have to be able to analyze their environment, remain independent for prolonged periods of time, have high levels of situational awareness and even be capable of some level of decision making in order to properly carry out their mission. Robots that assemble cars in automobile factories, for example: In the past each robot knew how to build one specific component. Today we want robots that are capable of patrolling behind enemy lines, overcoming obstacles and analyzing their location relative to that of the enemy.
iHLS – Israel Homeland Security
Decision making capabilities for robots are being developed, such as adaptive autonomy: The robot’s ability to adapt to changing environments, learning robots, robots that can learn to speak a language and immitate social behavior. One example is an American robot that learned how to be a barman, draw beer bottles and hand them out to customers.
Another important concern is safety and reliability for robotic systems. Robots that are capable of driving, for example. But what about safety? How will such a robot behave on busy roads, how reliable will it be? The solution is deep analysis of each and every component and subsystem, and for that you need experiments and repeated examinations.
Prof. Havatzelet added that Israel recently took part in the internation EROBIL robotics competition held by DARPA, presenting a robot that could enter a car and drive it. The winning robot – Japan’s SCHAFT – could climb ladders, open doors, clear debris, break through walls and climb to the second floor of a building.
