MIT's Latest Robotic Innovations

TurboTrack System Dramatically Improves Robot Accuracy and Speed

Source:  MIT Media Lab 


Uses RFID Tags
This latest robotic breakthrough at the MIT Media Lab is expected to enable collaborative drones and very significant improvements in robotic manufacturing.  The TurboTrack system relies on RFID tags to help robots track objects, including moving objects, with unprecedented precision. RFID stands for radio frequency identification tags.  They cost only 3 cents and that makes this new MIT system very scalable for large scale use.

RFID
The MIT team says the system could replace computer vision in situations where there is no line of sight. Computer vision is limited by what it can see.  Radio frequency signals don't have those restrictions.  They can identify objects through walls, clutter and without visualization. With the new MIT system,  the RFID tags are placed on selected objects.  A reader sends a wireless signal that reflects off the tag and other nearby objects and then rebounds to the reader.  An algorithm goes through the reflected signals and spots the RFID tag response on the object. Thereby, the robot locates the object even if it's not visible, moving or in a cluttered environment.

Great Results
The robots using the TurboTrack system locate the object within 7.5 milliseconds and with an error range under a centimeter.  The RFID tags are inexpensive.  The system can be used in warehouses and manufacturing facilities to provide greater robotic cooperation in packaging and assembly.  It also enables more collaboration among swarms of drones.  For more news blogs, go to amazon.com/author/ekane

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