Re:VC Funding for Robotics in 2015
by Houshalter on Tuesday January 12, 2016 @12:33AM
(#10885743)
There have been massive improvements in AI in the last few years. Particularly things like machine vision, speech recognition, and reinforcement learning. AI is one of the major things that has been holding back robotics. It may be that it's time has finally come, or at least is very close.
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At least in the flying-robot space, I think cheap batteries and sensors have been at least as important.
The sensors -- primarily accelerometers -- are etched in silicon, and benefit from a lot of the same cost and quality improvements as other microelectronics.
Batteries don't get better as fast as processors, but they do get better. About 7% per year for the past two decades. That has been adding up, and finally tipped us over the point where you can have your own tiny flying helicopter for $15.