Uber wins robotics

Company Uber lately on everyone's lips. Her opponents as much and the fans, and this opposition is sometimes very, very dramatic. But behind the scenes is the most interesting - ambitious to seize the robotics company's plans, for example. Popular Science pieced together, why can not we let Uber in science and what this means for the development of technology.

two engineers have created an amazing robot last spring: a 200-pound chimpanzee. Now this wonder device will take part in the DARPA Robotics Challenge, one of the most famous competition for robots, funded by the Pentagon. The purpose of the contest - to create a robotic liquidator of consequences of natural disasters. Chimpanzee - a giant robot - a project of the University of Carnegie Mellon employees, and it is one of the main contenders for the top prize of $ 2 million.

But if you do not know what cars are designed at Carnegie Mellon, the rapid scientific activity robotics department may not be noticed. Laboratory empty in the middle of the day. Surprisingly, it is precisely this faculty is also involved in one of the major US programs for the development of robotics. Now offices look like a museum room, closed for reconstruction. All the questions about what happened to one of the most promising branches of the University, the answer is one - Uber.

Company of San Francisco - an excellent example of the fact that there is success. Uber recently received another investment of $ 2.8 billion. Now all the company's focus is on how to create a self-guided vehicle. Uber does not want to rely on taxis. Moreover, that the use of robots is going to be more economical, so - will create fierce competition in the market.

In February, Uber announced a partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, whose goal is to create a car with artificial intelligence. What the company has not announced it so that it also began the process of luring employees of the institution. Only recently in the Uber passed 50 out of 150 university employees. Carnegie Mellon has long been a leader in the study of robotics. It worked here, those who created the first car with artificial intelligence. But this tidbit not only coveted Uber. In 2007, university employees lured and Google.

However, the mega-corporations like Amazon and Apple its strategy to capture the market. They invest heavily in laboratories and small teams, and then conduct their research under the "top secret". Those who signed up for such cooperation, will now be forbidden to discuss and publish their robotics projects separately. Far left, and Google - in 2013 the company hired just 8 ambitious companies, and representatives of these startups abruptly stopped any communication with the media. One of them was a Japanese project Schaft - humanoid robot S-One. He even participated in DAPRA Robotics Challenge. But once the company has reached to the Google, and the robot, and a startup disappeared from the headlines.

Rich Mahoney, director of SRI International Robotics Branch of Industry and president of Robotics Silicon Valley, says that in this way all the innovations are automatically transferred into private hands companies. "There are hundreds, literally - hundreds of engineers in Silicon Valley, is incredibly talented, and they do not get access to what is happening in the field of robotics."

The volume of investment in these start-ups and general market inflation reminiscent of the situation with Microsoft - remember, as the company absorbed a small company, one after another? What has changed is the strategy of acquisition and market expansion. If earlier the matter was purely in the company's market position, but now all attention is focused primarily on the development team. Therefore, corporations such as Google and Uber, first lured dozens of employees and then absorb startups. Meanwhile, the whole world is waiting for the appearance of Steve Jobs or Bill Gates of the world of robotics. But looking at how large companies deal with uncut talent, one can not but ask the question: Do we wait for all this genius?

There is another point of view on this issue. Too many developers robots say that it is very satisfied with the situation on the market. Among them - Vijay Kumar, robotics, University of Pennsylvania. He does not deny the outflow of personnel from educational institutions, but believes that this is a natural phenomenon and the vector is selected correctly. Looking at the volume and number of investments, Kumar can only rejoice. After all, in the general sphere of robotics and science now receives maximum attention and resources.