This dedicated motion-planning chip means faster robots and fewer accidents

Getting robots to move around safely in the physical world is tricky business. Industrial bots are big and powerful, and perfectly capable of crushing humans by accident, but kitting them out with robot vision and enough brains to avoid obstacles is costly and slows down movements. Usually, the bots simply operate on set paths instead, with humans warned to keep clear. New research from roboticists at Duke University could provide a practical solution to this problem, though — a new proces