Essay.04-FeiyangXie-2100017837
Keywords: taxonomy of tool use, robot tool use
Abstract: Tool use was initially considered to distinguish humans from other animals. However, animal experiments have shown that some animals, including chimpanzees and crows, also use tools. Despite this discovery, tool use remains a complex cognitive ability that plays a major role in robotics research. Integrating human tool use could significantly empower robots across applications. This capability would allow robots to solve previously intractable problems. A robot proficient in tool use could take on a wider range of tasks and scenarios. However, enabling robotic tool use presents substantial challenges. Precision grasping alone confounds most robots. Flexibly employing tools as humans do poses even greater difficulties. Although matching human proficiency remains distant, an interesting question is whether today’s tool-using robots operate at the level of crows. This essay first examines crow tool skills through a video example. It then discusses tool use levels and required abilities. With these classifications established, relevant robotic work is presented and compared to crows. Finally, current gaps are identified along with future development needs for robotic tool use.
Submission Number: 98
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