How many robots does it take to screw in a light bulb? Just one

By Warren Miller, contributing writer

You’re probably familiar with this old joke framework: How many ___s does it take to screw in a light bulb? If you fill in the blank with “robots,” then the answer may be just one, thanks to a new robotic gripper presented at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in Vancouver, B.C., late last month.

Engineers at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego designed the robot to mimic the movements and capabilities of a human hand as closely as possible, including a “sensing skin” that observes and records when the mechanism’s mechanical fingers come into contact with an object. The robot then uses the recorded data to create a three-dimensional model of the object that it’s interacting with, similar to the way a CT scanning machine uses two-dimensional images to create a three-dimensional perspective. Using this method, the robot can interact with and manipulate objects without any previous exposure to them, a major breakthrough in intelligent robotics.

The gripper arm of the robot is also unique in that it has three “fingers,” which are actually pneumatic chambers controlled via air pressure. The entire mechanism can twist and bend, allowing it to do everything from turning a screwdriver or a light bulb to picking up pencils or pieces of paper. The fingers are adroit enough to vary the amount of pressure that they use in gripping different objects, so as not to break a light bulb by squeezing it too tightly, for instance.

This soft robotic gripper can screw in your light bulbs for you. Image source: Jacobs School of Engineering.

The next step in the robot’s evolution will be enhancing its ability to recognize and categorize objects rather than just modeling them as it encounters them. At that point, they should be able to tell if a light bulb is burned out by just looking around the house, finding the new bulbs at the top of the closet and then screwing in a new one. Hopefully, they can put the old one in the right trash receptacle.

Researchers are also experimenting with using 3D printing to construct more durable “fingers.” They might even be able to create multiple attachments, each with a different combination of strength, dexterity, and number of fingers, optimized for different tasks.

With every passing day, it seems that a future in which robots vacuum our floors and clean our toilets gets closer and closer to reality. Rosie, the robot maid from “The Jetsons,” could be an accessory included with your purchase of a newly built home in the near future. And unlike her human overlords, she won’t need any help changing a light bulb.