This New Ultra-Smart Robot Can Play Chess, Serve Coffee

Robots are becoming more and more life-like. Take this ultra-intelligent one developed by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in Taiwan, which made its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

According to a report from Fox News, the Taiwanese creation made a splash in its demonstrations at the CES, filling coffee cups and playing chess like a pro.

One of ITRI's awe-inspiring technologies is the Intelligent Vision System, which actually allows robots to learn by interpreting visual data and experience. This is a significant step to the future of robotics as most are programmed to simply do tasks - this one actually adapts to its varying conditions. The robot exhibited at the CES was able to showcase this particular skill through a game of chess.

"We have machine learning embedded in this software so they can learn from each practice and each action," Dr. Ming-Jer Kao, deputy general director of ITRI's Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories, explained.

He added, "I think the most important thing behind this is what we call hand-eye coordination...all this makes our robot separate from all the others. It can not only provide information, it can also do actions to help people."

Moving chess pieces, as well as pouring coffee cups carefully enough as not to spill, requires a good deal of flexibility and control, and ITRI's products were able to perform admirably on both.

This robot takes technology to another level and one could easily imagine it making a huge difference in many scenarios. A report from Phys Org pointed out that it could help in household chores or even assisting the elderly or handicapped with their various tasks. It could even make a splash in an industrial landscape by being able to adapt to different components.

ITRI does not have plans to commercialize their invention. However, the robot could be used in a service or industrial job via investors or partners.