In an era of technological advancement, home automation is undergoing a paradigm shift, moving from the traditional dream of humanoid robots to a more decentralized, intelligent, and integrated system. Full-body humanoid robots are expensive and mechanically complex, making them a non-practical solution for ordinary households. Tesla's humanoid robot, Optimus, is a good example. It is priced at around $20,000, making it a less feasible option for widespread home automation.
Adoption of distributed robots
Distributed robotics offers a more accessible, cost-effective, and efficient alternative. This approach utilizes a network of small, dedicated robotic arms and AI-enabled cameras, providing a flexible, scalable solution while significantly reducing costs. RoomBots, developed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), are a great example of this technology. These modular robots can self-configure to create, move, and augment furniture, showcasing the potential of distributed robotics in home automation.
The role of AI cameras: Context-aware smart cameras
AI cameras are essential to this ecosystem, providing real-time data and guidance to the robotic components. AI cameras employ advanced machine learning, computer vision, and sensor fusion techniques similar to those found in self-driving cars. Amazon's “Just Walk Out technology” used in Amazon Go stores demonstrates the capabilities of AI cameras in a retail environment and could also be applied to home automation.
With the AI Camera, you get a new intelligent utility that can tell you where you put (or lost) your keys. You'll never lose anything at home again, and you won't need Apple's Air Tags to get it back. Just ask the AI Camera where you put it. Think of it like a “Google Search” to find out where things are in your home.
LLM as an AI Agent — a Virtual “Robot”
LLM or a similar AI will act as the central brain of your home automation system, acting as an AI agent (like a virtual robot that can control devices over Wi-Fi, computers, or files on the internet). The AI agent can process data, interpret user commands, and provide instructions to the robotic components. LLM will enhance the intelligence and capabilities of your home automation system, ensuring seamless interaction and coordination. It will be able to see through smart cameras or Wi-Fi. It will be able to interpret body cues to control smart devices. In the future, you will be able to take photos (as a VR world) using only Wi-Fi and background information that can be found on the web or shared data.
Case Study: MIT's Assembler Bot
A recent development at MIT further solidifies the potential of distributed robots in home automation. Researchers have developed assembler bots, robots that can reconfigure and build structures much larger than themselves. These robots can move and assemble parts independently, demonstrating the feasibility of distributed robots in large-scale construction.
The Future of Smart Home Devices
In the future, one can speculate about the possible development of specific smart home devices that will further enhance the capabilities of decentralized and distributed robots in home automation. These could include:
Eye (AI Camera): An advanced camera that continuously scans and analyzes the home environment and provides real-time data to other smart devices. This device acts as a visual conduit to a large language model such as ChatGPT, allowing the LLM (or its AI successor) to see the current state of the room and send instructions to various distributed robots and smart devices to solve problems. It can also be used as a kind of database. If you lose your keys in the house and the camera is visible when you put them down, the AI camera can tell you where you last left them. Never leave your belongings behind. Note that a Wi-Fi router that pings and maps the environment would likely be the physical realization of an AI smart camera. Although “vision” smart cameras like the one shown below do exist, they are inferior implementations of AI smart cameras.Arms (Robot Arms): With suction capabilities on multiple sides of their cube base, these arms can bind to various objects and surfaces to perform a wide range of tasks. Because the cube base can connect to all five sides of the square base, it can “bind” with other objects, making any object in your home a potential body part or tool for a distributed robotic system.
Wheels (Driving Robot): A small 4-wheeled robot that can move around your home. The central pipe moves up and down to allow the robot arm to reach higher places. This autonomous driving robot has a metal pole that can move up and down, and you can connect the robot arm to the pole to raise the arm to reach hard to reach places.
Wings (Drone): Indoor drones that can fly to high and hard-to-reach places, providing a solution for working near ceilings and other challenging locations. These devices work in tandem with AI cameras and LLMs to create a truly intelligent and responsive home automation system that can adapt to the unique needs and preferences of each household.
Final thoughts
The integration of distributed robots, AI cameras, and large-scale language models (LLMs) is a key milestone in the evolution of home automation, leading us towards a future where our living spaces are more connected, intelligent, and responsive than ever before. This paradigm shift from traditional humanoid robots to a more decentralized, collaborative system of smart devices not only makes home automation more accessible, but also improves its efficiency and adaptability.
The potential for these robotic systems to take over household chores is huge, signaling a transition to a world where we can redirect our time and energy towards more meaningful, fulfilling activities. This isn't just a step forward in home automation, it's a leap towards a future where household chores are lightened and we enjoy an era of unprecedented freedom and leisure.
By embracing these technological advances, we are not just automating tasks, we are opening a new chapter in human history. The era of housework, and perhaps all work, is rapidly coming to an end, heralding a future where our living spaces are not just places of refuge, but hubs of innovation and convenience. Distributed robots, AI cameras, and LLMs are harbingers of this future, leading us to a world where the dream of a fully automated home is not just a possibility, but a reality.