BARKING MAD?
Scientists want to replace guide dogs with four-legged AI robots that TALK to users
Here's how boffins tested the four-legged RoboGuide
SCIENTISTS want to replace guide dogs with four-legged AI robots that talk to users.
University of Glasgow boffins have developed the four-legged RoboGuide to help blind people.
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Prof Wasim Ahmad said: "When we are developing something like this, it's a mixture of several things.
"The first challenge is how to learn the environment."
Colleague Dr Olaoluwa Popoola added: "Outdoors, GPS performs excellently.
"That's why we use it for our cars and for maps on our phones.
"But indoor spaces are subject to deteriorating GPS signals."
Snaps shows the engineers talking the RoboGuide for a walk on a leash around the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow.
Prof Ahmad said: "We use computer vision, we use 3D technology where it scans the whole environment.
"It understands where each object, each pillar, each obstacle is - and memorises and remembers them."
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He added: "The second thing is object or obstacle avoidance - we developed that using multiple sensors.
"The third technology that we integrated in there is interactivity."
Dr Popoola said: "We've integrated some large language models so it can have intelligent conversations."
The engineers invited blind people from the area to test out the AI guide dog.
Participant Kyle Somerville said: "100 per cent, I would use this in the future personally.
"There are a lot of people I know who would definitely either want to try this or would definitely use it."