Autonomous Selfie Drone and More from ITRI at CES 2022

ITRI Unveils Autonomous Selfie Drone and More at CES 2022

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

The Taiwanese leading high-tech applied research institution, The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), recently debuted AI, robotics, and ICT technologies at CES 2022, as well as on its virtual event site.

ITRI unveiled the RGB-D AI Robot, the world’s first collaborative robot with built-in 3D vision, which was granted a CES 2022 Innovation Award. Its sensing technology, mounted on a robotic arm, is 168 times smaller than those used by comparable robots and 38.6 times faster. The smart 3D vision sensing technology offers automatic three-dimensional scanning of the object area and helps the arm to determine the optimal angle at which to lift objects according to their shape and placement. The RGB-D AI Robot can be used to sort and package objects for smart automation in the manufacturing and logistics industries, as well as to serve customers directly in retail or service businesses and healthcare.

The RGB-D AI Robot also makes use of self-learning technology to allow for fast, high-precision 3D object retrieval, removing the need for revising control programs to teach robots to identify objects, a process typically taking one to two weeks. The RGD-D AI Robot is able to adapt to changes in the production line, quickly learning the best handling strategy in less than 12 hours. As the robotic arm becomes smarter, it can achieve auto-learning and determine the pick-up or suction point for any new object, both reducing engineering costs and increasing efficiency. The RGB-D AI Robot is expected to reach the market by March 2022.

The event also saw the introduction of the Autonomous Selfie Drone, which handles all of the composition, angle, and lighting preparations before flying itself to take the best selfie picture, determined via AI algorithms and data acquired from essential photography techniques. Users are also able to set up different close-up angles, photography body ratio, and compositions. The drone is able to analyze posture and head orientation to automatically adjust its own position and the angle of depression to achieve the optimal composition. Its relative portrait mode uses smart framing technology to analyze the user and background, creating a natural and unobtrusive match between the subject and the surroundings. ITRI’s drone sets itself apart with fully automated photography, smart aesthetic composition, and the direct use of the phone camera, granting superior resolution and eliminating the need to convert image formats.

ITRI also showcased its Interactive Time Machine, the first system to use AI to generate a 3D interactive avatar from the user’s full body rather than from the face alone. The system is able to automatically generate a younger-looking avatar including the user’s surroundings, and forms a metaverse for avatars to interact with players in real time. The 3D model shown on the display responds to the user’s movements in real time. The system allows the user to interact with a virtual self that looks younger or older, with use cases including VR/AR/MR gaming, personal entertainment, teleconferences where people meet and interact with their 3D models, and exhibitions for interactive activities to attract visitors.

Also on display were the DNN Video Analysis OS, a front-end AI image recognition application for smart streetlights, enabling instant alerts on surrounding events, such as illegal parking and traffic violations, ITRI’s Ultra Low Power AI Accelerator; the Virtualization-based Fault Tolerance for Critical Online Services, which prevents system service interruptions caused by hardware damage, network disconnection or power interruption; and the 5G O-RAN RIC, a 5G network management system consisting of an open radio access network (O-RAN) based 5G RAN intelligent controller (RIC) and an element management system (EMS.)

Read more about CES 2022: the Women to Watch in UAS Awards, SkyDrive Flying Vehicle.

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.