On Tuesday this week, Amazon Web Services launched WorldForge, a tool that robotics developers can use to test autonomous machines and AI models that power the robots, in simulated environments. The new tool is part of the larger RoboMaker, an AWS-developed service.
RoboMakers was developed to be used as a specialized robot operating system that contains features that can be used in the management of autonomous vehicles. It also provides coding tools that developers can use to write the software that runs on those machines.
The service is used by manufacturers like iRobot Corp, who made Roomba, and other research teams in universities.
Cost-effectiveness will boost innovation
The AI behind a robot has to be trained and tested, just like a neural network. Engineers usually have to perform their tests in simulations instead of the real world. The reason why they do this is so they can reduce hardware costs and save time.
However, developing a simulated environment with all the required features to test a neural network that adequately runs the robot is expensive.
AWS aims to help companies developing robots, save money. If they all had to create their simulated environments, it would hinder innovation and take longer to finish any project.
A boon for small robotics companies
AWS says that using WorldForge doesn’t require any knowledge of 3D development or simulations. The learning curve is very low, considering that they released this environment with out of the box templates of simulated environments that anyone can deploy quickly and with minimal effort.
Engineers will be able to set up several simulations and tweak parameters to teach machines how to behave in specific conditions.
WorldForge can be the answer smaller robotics companies have been looking for. Startups with small budgets can use this tool to lower costs and time to delivery. With time, WorldForge is going to get expanded.
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