Researchers Expand Ability of Robots to Learn from Videos
Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science
Aaron Aupperlee
June 20, 2023
A model developed by Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) researchers allows robots to learn how to complete household tasks by watching videos of people doing chores. With the Vision-Robotics Bridge (VRB) model, two robots learned a dozen chores, such as opening drawers and taking pots off the stove, through observation. VRB builds on a previous model, In-the-Wild Human Imitating Robot Learning (WHIRL). With VRB, robots can learn a new task from a video in just 25 minutes. The model employs the concept of affordances (perceived potential actions), in which the robot determines contact points and direction of movement in the performance of a particular task. Said CMU's Shikhar Bahl, "This work could enable robots to learn from the vast amount of Internet and YouTube videos available." ... '
