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Meet 'Pibot,' the humanoid robot that can safely pilot an airplane better than a human

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Summary

A team of researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) is developing a humanoid robot called "Pibot" that can fly aircraft without needing to modify the cockpit. Pibot can control its arms and fingers to dextrously operate the flight instruments, even with severe vibration in an aircraft, using high-precision control technology. It can memorize complex manuals presented in natural language as well as all Jeppesen aeronautical navigation charts, which is impossible for human pilots. Advances in large language models have allowed Pibot to "understand" and memorize manuals originally written for humans. It can also calculate a safe route in real-time and communicate with air traffic controllers and humans in the cockpit using voice synthesis. The humanoid robot is expected to be completed by 2026 and could have military applications in the future.

Q&As

What is Pibot?
Pibot is a humanoid robot that can fly aircraft without needing to modify the cockpit.

What capabilities does Pibot possess?
Pibot can control its arms and fingers to dextrously operate the flight instruments, even with severe vibration in an aircraft, using high-precision control technology. It can also memorise complex manuals presented in natural language, memorise all of the Jeppesen aeronautical navigation charts around the world, and calculate a safe route in real-time based on the status of the airborne aircraft.

How does Pibot compare to human pilots?
Pibot is able to memorise complex manuals presented in natural language, a feat that enhances its adaptability across various aircraft. Its memory is so large that it can memorise all of the Jeppesen aeronautical navigation charts around the world, which is impossible for human pilots.

What research is KAIST conducting with Pibot?
KAIST is currently developing and testing its own natural language model so that Pibot can make queries without relying on an Internet connection.

What potential applications are there for Pibot?
Potential applications for Pibot include driving automobiles, operating tanks, commanding ships at sea, and acting as a pilot or a first officer. It could also have potential military applications in the future.

AI Comments

👍 Pibot is an incredible feat of engineering and technology, demonstrating the possibilities of robotic and AI technology. It's amazing that the robot can memorise all the Jeppesen navigation charts and respond quickly in emergency situations.

👎 The development of Pibot could lead to humans being replaced in many jobs, which could lead to high levels of unemployment. In addition, the robot's development has been commissioned by a government body, which raises questions about the use of public funds.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about this new humanoid robot called "Pibot" that can fly aircraft without needing to modify the cockpit. It has amazing memory and can even memorise all Jeppesen navigation charts.

Friend: Wow, that's incredible! What are the implications of this?

Me: Well, it could mean that many jobs that were traditionally done by humans could soon be overtaken by robots, which could lead to a lot of job displacement. It could also potentially have military applications, as the robot is being developed by the Agency for Defense Development. Additionally, it could lead to much safer and faster air travel.

Action items

Research other humanoid robots and their applications in the aviation industry.
Explore the potential military applications of Pibot.
Develop a deeper understanding of the advances in artificial intelligence and robotics and their implications for the future of work.

Technical terms

Robotic: Relating to robots, or the use of robots.
Robot: A machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, especially one programmable by a computer.
Pilot: A person who is qualified to operate the flight controls of an aircraft.
Autopilot: A system of automatic controls for an aircraft, spacecraft, or other vehicle that enables it to fly or travel without constant human intervention.
AI: Artificial intelligence, the ability of a computer or other machine to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.
LLM: Large language models, a type of artificial intelligence that uses large amounts of data to learn how to understand and generate natural language.
ChatGPT: A large language model developed by OpenAI, a research laboratory focused on artificial intelligence.