Artificial intelligence (AI) in the Republic have been doing for fifteen years. In the Kabardino-Balkar scientific centre of the RAS functioning in the robotics lab, where a model for mass application. In what occupations robots can replace humans? About it the correspondent of “RG” spoke with the Chairman of the scientific center of Zalimkhan Nagoev.
RG: Zalimkhan V., research center for last year was presented to “SKOLKOVO” robot retailer. And this is not the first model of your engineers. As in Nalchik formed a strong team creating robots?
Zalimkhan Nagoyev: In the postwar period, the country began to actively develop electronic instrumentation and food industry. The young people were eager to go in the exact Sciences. In the 1950s and 1960s in the Kabardino-Balkar state University, he taught the eminent mathematician Felix Frankl, at different times, fundamental research was carried out by the students such eminent scientists as Andrei Bitsadze, Victor Glushkov, Alexander Samara. In the 1970s in the country has opened computer center of agricultural machinery – it became the second after Leningrad.
All of this became the basis for research in the field of artificial intelligence. Composed which opened in the mid-1990s, Kabardino-Balkar scientific centre of the RAS was created by two of the Institute of Informatics and problems of regional management, as well as applied mathematics and automation, which have managed to form a strong backbone, primarily from graduates of our universities: programmers, mathematicians, physicists, engineers and mechatronics.
RG: That is the problem with the staff and the infrastructure for innovative engineering in the Republic?
Zalimkhan Nagoyev: In recent years created several specialized laboratories, and opened a Center for collective use in the field of intelligent robotics and prototyping. It is equipped with the most advanced equipment – 3D printers that print large items from metal and plastic laser cutting machine, scanners. And now we can not only design and fabricate the sample, but to test it. The work involved many of our specialists, as robotics is a syncretic genre. But to keep a professional regional wages difficult: for the same work a good programmer in Nalchik receives 50 thousand rubles, and in Moscow – 150. Therefore, those who remain, do show care for their cause.
RG: What is a simulation model of the thinking process? This is the artificial intelligence of the machine?
Zalimkhan Nagoyev: Exactly. The global scientific community has long sought the Golden key to artificial intelligence. Until the effective��first method to provide the machine with a mind, will not come to mass robotics. All other components are already there – actuators, sensors, navigation, processing power.
Why had hitch with unmanned vehicles? Despite the incident a few years ago, the boom, developers are still back in the laboratory, as the risk is high. Yes, the autopilot can cope on the road where there is heavy traffic, but a buzzing metropolis with high traffic density a robot to behave differently.
Our approach is to build a cognitive architecture, which has memory, capable of learning and planning, and natural intelligence. The basis of our research hypothesis about the functioning of the brain as a complex mechanism with different interacting with each other compute nodes. And to dive into the thinking core of the robot, to study neurons and understand how the formation of bonds between them affect the logic, semantics, psychological phenomena, we use the augmented reality interface.
RG: But how will people relate to the emergence of artificial intelligence, which will need to be considered and compete?
Zalimkhan Nagoyev: Many of the functions previously provided by people have already switched to the machine. Everywhere we are confronted with the manifestations of “weak” artificial intelligence, programmed to perform any one task – be it playing chess, translation, navigation. The next stage – the creation of a “General” AI (General AI) that can cope with real-world problems, to use knowledge in the decision-making process and to offer innovative ideas. To this, I think we can get over the next 15-20 years, although forecasts, as you know, is a thankless task. Top development, most likely become superior to man in all aspects – the “strong” AI (Super AI), when the program will be able to unite with each other and generate higher order reasoning.
As for the competition, employers are always interested in the growth of productivity and economy. And now in pandemic, the interest in e-assistants is growing. The robot may be able to compete in industries where people feel before free. Here is a simple example: in recent years, banking organizations have cut more than 500 thousand employees, replacing them with programs-robots. Of course, the government must anticipate such a change in the labor market and measures of state support.
RG: Innovation in fact will require new specialists?
Zalimkhan Nagoyev: Yes. New technologies are needed staff. The first machine of UCS in our computing center of agricultural machinery was presented withWallpaper huge closets, they served 350 people. Over time, personal computers handled by one person. Intelligent robotic systems will be the same. Now a large demand for programmers, but as technologies improve, the demand for them will fall away – why they are needed, if the program will be able to write other programs?
RG: But is there a real demand for robots in our country?
Zalimkhan Nagoyev: If we talk about industrial production, the high demand for conveyor machines. Every automotive plant is equipped with a conveyor robot performing monotonous operations. As for personal service equipment demand is very large. The catch is that no one has learned how to make such robots, or rather not taught them to think straight, and without this they will not be let out on the street and will not lead into the house. And as soon as the price meets their technical capabilities, immediately opens a new market.
RG: whether in the future in the trading rooms we will serve the robots retailers?
Zalimkhan Nagoyev: Why not? Incidentally, the idea of a helper pushed us statistics one of the major international retail chains: it turns out that discontinuities in the layout of goods on the shelves lead to a loss of up to five percent of the profits, and this is a very significant amount. To remedy the situation, we came up with robots that moved around the room, find the gaps, and then give them to the employees of the warehouse or a hall. At a cost of about 2.5 million rubles, the payback period of the robot will be up to two years, because he never gets tired, working even at night and can replace about five people.
In the future release of iron workers may develop into a big business in the world about 200 thousand large and medium-sized shopping centers, and to provide them with uninterrupted gap checking, you will need up to 2.5 million robots. In addition, by varying the parameters, the machine can easily be trained in other occupations – waiter, cleaner or the sapper.
RG: In your opinion, how to develop robotics in Russia? What are its perspectives on the global market?
Zalimkhan Nagoyev: we Have strong teams of the school at the Russian Academy of Sciences and universities, the national center for the development of basic technologies and elements of robotics. You see companies whose inventions get commercial recognition. But lack of coordination and collaboration with development institutions of the ecosystem, in order to “pick up innovative ideas in tow” and to explore the suitability for the market.
Now began to appear scientific-educational centers, developed the state program of the National technology initiative, but venture system is still weak. In General, Russian developments in the field of artificial intelligence is not inferior to foreign products – we are all about the same level. Robotics is the area which will determine the way of life in the coming decades, and Russia has a good chance of success.
last year, the Kabardino-Balkar scientific center of RAS acquired a 3D printer, which is designed for rapid prototyping, small series or isolated unique products. In academic institutions it has started to print the hull elements of the robots.
Among the developments KBSC – robot wash, which can wash the car without human intervention. It is a mobile gantry construction the aggregate of the two racks and connected them with a U-shaped arch with manipulators. The robot also opens the car door and performs cleaning and interior cleaning. The cost of such complex is about 350 thousand rubles. Period of operation – five years.
the Family of robots AgroMultiBot able to perform a variety of agricultural operations: to collect products from the open soil and in greenhouses, to perform the tilling and irrigation work, to transport goods. Among them there are even cultivator-fitosanitar. Curiously, the “greenhouse” the robot is able to determine the degree of maturity of vegetables, separate and need to be transported, saving presentation, off-site to the specified place. Autonomous robot-harvester working outdoors, replace 25 people. “The traditional clean-up damaged vegetables, trampled soil, the land is polluted, according to the research center. – Our robot will allow you to collect 30-50 percent of the crop, which is now just left to rot in the fields. At a cost of about 2.6 million rubles it pays off from the second season.”
the Most complete development of the center is a multi-agent robot scout Multik, created by the order of EMERCOM of Russia. It consists of several modules, equipped with a navigation and positioning system, a camera with a viewing angle of 170 degrees and the sensors. Its main task is intelligence in remote locations and transmission of information about the presence of fire, spilled hazardous chemicals, the number of victims.
