Posts Tagged: "robotics"

House Subcommittees Hold Hearing on Space Situational Awareness and Space Traffic Management

A joint hearing of the House Subcommittee on Strategic Forces and the House Subcommittee on Space was recently convened to discuss the responsibilities of various U.S. government agencies on space situational awareness (SSA) and space traffic management (STM) efforts. The hearing occurred just days after the administration of President Donald J. Trump issued Space Policy Directive-3 (SPD-3) to set a new national space policy to address issues related to both SSA and STM including tracking the existence of space debris, encourage commercial activities in space and improve the national security of the United States in a world where foreign powers are increasing their presence in space.

AI-Driven Innovation: Can & Should it Be Regulated?

Historically, legal decisions have dismissed the notion of a machine or autonomous program being the inventor. In fact, as a recent contribution to Lexology states, “Congress has stated that the Patent Act is intended to ‘include anything under the sun that is made by man.’” However, with the increasing use of AI to augment the pace and scope of innovation, questions arise as to who owns the invention and subsequent IP rights in cases where AI is involved… However, as a new and emerging technology, artificial intelligence is a hot topic of discussion and calls for greater oversight and regulation of the technology are growing louder. Going beyond liability and public safety concerns, some pundits suggest that if legislators don’t act quickly, AI could lead to the most dramatic erosion of IP that the modern era has seen thus far.

What Do Cloud Robotics Mean for Driverless Cars?

When you think of autonomous cars or driverless vehicles, you probably don’t associate them with cloud computing and data analytics. However, that’s exactly the technology that makes autonomy possible, at least when it comes to modern mechanics… A vehicle that has to wait for commands from a cloud system is especially vulnerable.

Trump picks automation supporting fast-food CEO Andrew Puzder for Labor Secretary

Automation technology in the restaurant industry, such as interactive kiosks that replace waiters by taking customer orders, is both a cost-cutting move and an investment in improved customer service, Puzder argues, citing the speed, accuracy and convenience of such technologies… Overall, Puzder doesn’t seem to want to replace his workers with machines so much as he would like to see an end to government regulations that increase labor costs. This echoes an anti-regulatory regime that looks to be shaping up with choices like climate change-critic Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head up the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Obamacare-critic Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) to serve as the U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services.

Ethical, legal questions arise as scientists work to teach robots to feel pain

One way we use robots is the navigation of dangerous situations, in which robots perform tasks that would put a human worker at high risk of injury or death. A highly radioactive environment is one such example. If robots were able to experience pain, and interpret this type of sensory data as a threat to their physical existence, they would be better able to protect themselves from harm and complete tasks more efficiently. To return to “Star Trek,” Lieutenant Commander Data was able to identify atmospheric and environmental threats to his well-being, even if he was forced to describe them with a machine’s characteristic detachment. Interestingly, there’s also the possibility that pain sensors for robots could in turn protect humans.