Robot guide dogs may soon become available to the 17 million visually（视觉地）impaired people in China thanks to researchers from Northwestern Polytechnical University , who achieved a breakthrough using an artificial intelligence language model.
The AI guide dog can provide assistance in life such as crossing streets, using elevators and guiding indoor spaces without having to be connected to the internet. It is a big step in exploring the application of involved intelligence —an intelligent machine with a physical form that can interact with the environment in real-time using sensors（传感器）to conduct instructions or make decisions. The research makes it possible to provide better guidance services for visually impaired people, especially for emotional companionship.
"Though in recent years there have been some electronic navigation aids（导航助手）, such as electronic navigation helmets, navigation canes, and electronic guide dogs, they cannot engage in conversations with people or fully understand human instructions," said Sun Zhe, an associate professor at the university's School of Artificial Intelligence, Optics and Electronics, "They can only perform tasks according to pre-designed programs. They are just cold machines. That's not enough. Visually impaired people face numerous challenges in daily life, including navigation difficulties and possible dangers, but smart guide dogs using the language model can offer the m more convenient and safer guidance, effectively improving their life quality." Sun said.
The research team began developing the smart guide dog based on the AI model at the end of last month. Its findings have been published in the Communications of the Chinese Computer Society. "The current results prove the possibility of this approach, but there is still some way to go before it can be put into practical application," Sun said. "We will put more effort into it and make it available for those in need as soon as possible."
