The State Government has awarded Edith Cowan University (ECU) scientists a $150,000 grant to work alongside leading Artificial Intelligence (AI) companies to design technology that teaches defence force robots to read hand gestures.
The team, led by ECU’s Dr Syed Zulqarnain Gilani, will include developers from robotics company Chironix, Augmented Reality (AR) provider Agili8, and rugged technology manufacturer Motium.
“Optimising the present-day utility of robotics technology in the Australian Defence Force requires integrating robots into the human operating environment where they can be at least partially controlled by a human operator,” ECU’s Dr Gilani said.
Hand gestures will replace current remote controls, which are used by soldiers, and will allow them to operate unmanned machines.
The hand-gestures will be recognised by a front-facing camera, installed within the AR glasses worn by the operator and will be transmitted over considerable distances to the robot.
Perth company Agili8 is responsible for developing the revolutionary XRAI Vision glasses to transmit hand gestures from human to robot over large distances.
“This use of AI and AR in the battlefield will improve responsiveness and reduce the cognitive load on the soldier and is only the beginning of the applications of this technology,” Chris Markovic Chief Technology Officer at Agili8 said.
Coming from a strong background in developing rugged hardware for the mining sector, Perth company Motium is excited to bring its expertise to the areas of security and defence.
“We are proud to be working with an innovative team on some really cutting-edge development for our frontline soldiers,” Business Development Manager Dieter von Mollendorf said.
According to developers, the technology is a natural progression in communication for soldiers on the frontline.
“There is a long pedigree of Australian soldiers using hand gestures to communicate silently with one another,” Dr Owen Carter, Principal Research Fellow at Chironix Robotics said.
“The last thing your average digger wants to do is stuff around with a robot remote control while getting shot at. Signalling to a robot with one hand while keeping your other hand firmly on your weapon is much preferred.”
Cognitive scientist Dr Zachary Howard from The University of Western Australia says that this technology can significantly enhance user experience when robots are integrated into human teams, and has the potential to reduce the cognitive burdens associated with current control systems.
