TRI Robotics - Overview
A Toyota Research Institute robotics team member discusses TRI’s challenge-driven research, dexterous manipulation, and robots that could support people at home and in manufacturing.
In this talk
- 0:08
Research aimed at societal challenges
TRI is investing in robotics partly to address the needs of an aging society. Its strategy is to define difficult tasks beyond current capabilities, using them to build skills that serve longer-term goals.
- 0:45
Building reusable manipulation skills
The dexterous manipulation group treats food preparation as a broad research challenge, beyond making a single dish. It is developing skills such as cutting and applying sauce within a pipeline intended to support many tasks. The same approach could extend to laundry, tidying, or factory work, with new capabilities building on earlier ones.
- 1:49
Applying robot skills to real tasks
A grocery-shopping challenge would require a robot to select a cereal box and place it in a basket without causing harm or damage. Skills from that task could transfer to factory work, where robots must select parts and place them safely and reliably. Toyota’s manufacturing experience could also help put robotics to use or build robots.
- 2:53
Supporting people in their homes
The team is exploring how robots could help older adults with mobility and stability. It draws on medical experts’ knowledge to guide how a robot might move to support someone in a caregiver role. Soft robotics could help robots work safely near people and handle objects that shift or are affected by human interaction.
- 4:11
Robots that adapt alongside people
The goal is for domestic robots to learn how to interact with people over time. A robot that adapts as a person’s needs change could support everyday life at home.
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