Apple is making a surprising foray into the field of humanoid robotics with the ARMOR project, developed in collaboration with the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University. This initiative, which highlights Apple’s ambitions in the applied artificial intelligence sector, reveals an innovative prototype with advanced capabilities in navigation and interaction with its environment. Martin Levihn, a veteran engineer at Apple and holder of numerous patents, is one of the main architects of this ambitious project.
Cutting-edge technology for robotic perception
The ARMOR system represents a significant advance in the field of robotics, particularly with regard to the perception of the environment. The robot is equipped with miniaturized and intelligent Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors, strategically positioned on its arms. This configuration allows a quasi-panoramic vision of the surrounding space, mainly to avoid collisions and optimize movement.
The integration of artificial intelligence based on transformers constitutes the heart of the system. This AI has the particularity of learning by observing human movements, which allows it to plan its actions in a more natural and efficient way. The results are impressive: a reduction in collisions of 63.7% and an acceleration of calculation time multiplied by 26 compared to traditional methods.
Although this prototype is not intended to become a commercial product, it demonstrates Apple’s commitment to developing cutting-edge technologies. The ARMOR project is a continuation of the numerous patents filed by the company in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence, notably that of September 2020 concerning autonomous decision-making systems. This foray by Apple into the field of humanoid robotics perhaps marks the start of a new era for the company, which is still looking for its big project after the abandonment of the Apple Car.
