Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)’s robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technology research will benefit from a collaboration agreement with consumer electronics manufacturer Sony’s Seed Acceleration Program and corporate venturing unit Sony Innovation Fund.
Japan-headquartered Sony agreed the deal through its US subsidiary, Sony Corporation of America, and the units will assist in the university’s general AI and robotics work, alongside a research partnership focusing on food.
The research will initially cover food preparation, cooking and delivery in a bid to build common robotics skills that could be used for purposes such as handling fragile materials or completing complex household tasks.
The team will start by refitting existing robotics technology before moving on to create machines built to perform specific food preparation tasks within a small space.
Much of the research will be performed by a team of AI and machine learning specialists at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science. Hiroaki Kitano, president and chief executive of Sony’s Computer Science Laboratories unit, will serve as project lead.
Hiroaki Kitano said: “This project has the potential to make the vast possibilities of AI and robotics more familiar and accessible to the general public.
“Additionally, it could also assist those for whom daily tasks, such as food preparation, are challenging. I am very excited to be working with the talented scientists at CMU to make this vision a reality.”
– A version of this article first appeared on our sister site, Global Corporate Venturing.
