University of West England and University of Bristol Collaborate on Robotics Research, Look to Develop Cutting Edge Robots 西英格蘭大學與布里斯托大學合作 研發特殊機器人 解決不可能的任務
Imagine a day when the robots from “Transformers” are no longer simply fanciful creations on a movie screen. Imagine a day when robots have all the sensory capacity of humans, including sight, hearing, touch, and smell, and can interact with humans emotionally, appear life-like, and move on their own. Research is underway at Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL), where experts in electronic and mechanical engineering as well as microbiology are working hard to turn scenes from “Transformers” into reality.
想像一下，有朝一日，電影《變形金剛(Transformer)》不再只是單純的電影情節，機器不僅具備人類的各種感知功能，包括視覺、聽覺、觸覺、嗅學，與人類可以進行情感的互動，甚至成為看似擁有生命，能自主行動的有機體。英國布里斯托機器人實驗室(BRL)，正進行結合電子、機械工程技術與生命科學的研究，將使《變形金剛》的創意成真。
BRL is a collaborative research partnership between the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England (UWE). Currently, BRL’s three main areas of research and development are focused on creating robots using swarm intelligence, developing biologically inspired robots, and developing robots capable of interacting with human beings and providing psychological therapy.
布里斯托機器人實驗室是由西英格蘭大學(University of West England)與布里斯托大學( Bristol University)合作成立，目前BRL主要研究範圍有三：第一是專注研發運用群體智慧(Swarm)所研發的機器人；第二則是主要在研究以Bio-inspire (仿生)為主的機器人；第三個研究主軸，則是主要研究開發能夠和人類互動(Human-Interaction)並且具有心理療癒功能的機器人。
The U.K. is spearheading robotics research in Europe by focusing on artificial intelligence. Professor Alan Winfield, director of the UWE Science Communication Unit, exclaims that, in the past, robotics research was conducted on one robot at a time, an approach which was later found to result in developmental bottlenecks. When working on a single robot, researchers are unable to cope with the complexities of the rapidly changing work environment and make appropriate responses. Therefore, scientists turned to the study of insect behavior for inspiration and have begun applying swarm intelligence to the development of the next generation of robots. Swarm robotics is a new approach to the coordination of multi-robot systems, which consist of large numbers of individual robots. Direct and indirect communication between the swarm members builds a system of constant feedback, which helps scientists develop intelligence attributes in robots, which are then able to act on their own.
以英國為首的歐陸機器人研究，以針對人工智慧(Artificial Intelligence)為主。西英格蘭大學科學通訊學系( Science Communication Unit) 系主任Alan Winfield教授解釋，過往以單一機器人為主的研發，會面臨到機器人在環境訊息上的讀取與處理有限的發展瓶頸。這樣的機器人，對於複雜與多變的工作環境，將無法立即的回應並作出相對應的措施。因此，科學家轉而模仿社會性的昆蟲行為，並透過研究昆蟲行為的群體智慧（Swarm Intelligence），作為發展下一階段機器人的主軸。Swarm機器人的研究，是將一群單一機器人進行整合，而這群機器人可以透過直接通訊或間接通訊來進行合作或解決問題，讓無智能的主體透過合作表現出智能的行為特性，進一步成為能夠自主活動的有機體。
想像一下，有朝一日，電影《變形金剛(Transformer)》不再只是單純的電影情節，機器不僅具備人類的各種感知功能，包括視覺、聽覺、觸覺、嗅學，與人類可以進行情感的互動，甚至成為看似擁有生命，能自主行動的有機體。英國布里斯托機器人實驗室(BRL)，正進行結合電子、機械工程技術與生命科學的研究，將使《變形金剛》的創意成真。
BRL is a collaborative research partnership between the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England (UWE). Currently, BRL’s three main areas of research and development are focused on creating robots using swarm intelligence, developing biologically inspired robots, and developing robots capable of interacting with human beings and providing psychological therapy.
布里斯托機器人實驗室是由西英格蘭大學(University of West England)與布里斯托大學( Bristol University)合作成立，目前BRL主要研究範圍有三：第一是專注研發運用群體智慧(Swarm)所研發的機器人；第二則是主要在研究以Bio-inspire (仿生)為主的機器人；第三個研究主軸，則是主要研究開發能夠和人類互動(Human-Interaction)並且具有心理療癒功能的機器人。
The U.K. is spearheading robotics research in Europe by focusing on artificial intelligence. Professor Alan Winfield, director of the UWE Science Communication Unit, exclaims that, in the past, robotics research was conducted on one robot at a time, an approach which was later found to result in developmental bottlenecks. When working on a single robot, researchers are unable to cope with the complexities of the rapidly changing work environment and make appropriate responses. Therefore, scientists turned to the study of insect behavior for inspiration and have begun applying swarm intelligence to the development of the next generation of robots. Swarm robotics is a new approach to the coordination of multi-robot systems, which consist of large numbers of individual robots. Direct and indirect communication between the swarm members builds a system of constant feedback, which helps scientists develop intelligence attributes in robots, which are then able to act on their own.
以英國為首的歐陸機器人研究，以針對人工智慧(Artificial Intelligence)為主。西英格蘭大學科學通訊學系( Science Communication Unit) 系主任Alan Winfield教授解釋，過往以單一機器人為主的研發，會面臨到機器人在環境訊息上的讀取與處理有限的發展瓶頸。這樣的機器人，對於複雜與多變的工作環境，將無法立即的回應並作出相對應的措施。因此，科學家轉而模仿社會性的昆蟲行為，並透過研究昆蟲行為的群體智慧（Swarm Intelligence），作為發展下一階段機器人的主軸。Swarm機器人的研究，是將一群單一機器人進行整合，而這群機器人可以透過直接通訊或間接通訊來進行合作或解決問題，讓無智能的主體透過合作表現出智能的行為特性，進一步成為能夠自主活動的有機體。
