Who has developed the new AI robot pilot?
Robots and artificial intelligence (AI) have been getting better in the last few years. Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea, have created a robot named “Pibot” that can fly an aircraft.
The project to develop this pilot robot began in 2022. It can fly an aeroplane from takeoff to landing. Pibot is about 5 feet tall and weighs around 65 kilograms. It also has human-like hands.
What can Pibot do?
This robot can sit in a plane's cockpit and use all the flight controls. Pibot uses its hands to hold the controls, change the plane's speed, and keep it at the right height. The research team says Pibot does all this really well.
While flying, it can communicate with air traffic controllers (ATC) and follow their instructions. It can fly even in difficult flying conditions. Pibot also has a huge memory for remembering navigation charts.
Pibot also has cameras that allow it to control the plane properly. It can remember complicated instructions. This makes it good at flying different planes.
The researchers used AI chatbots like ChatGPT to help the robot understand instructions related to flying a plane.
What can Pibot be used for?
The team says it can be used in situations that are difficult for humans to handle. It can also drive cars and even operate tanks and ships. It might also be used for military tasks.
But it's not ready yet. The robot is still being developed and will be finished by 2026. So far, the team has only conducted simulations to test Pibot. However, they are in talks with Airbus (a company that makes planes) for test flights in its newly built electric aircraft.
