One of the biggest limits of modern robotics has never been strength, speed or hardware, it has been understanding, because building a machine capable of moving is no longer the biggest challenge, the real problem has always been getting that machine to understand the environment around it and make useful decisions within it, now Google announced a new artificial intelligence system that can change exactly that, called Gemini Robotics E.R. 1.6.

The model was created to give robots something that until today was extremely limited, reasoning in the physical world, this means that the robot stops simply obeying basic commands and begins to interpret situations, plan actions and decide when a task has really been completed, it seems basic for a human being, but for a machine this represents a huge leap.

Imagine a robot in a workshop, factory or industrial facility, before it could follow programmed steps by repeating predefined movements, now it begins to understand if a piece is in the right place, if there is something blocking the path, if an object was removed or if the task needs to be redone and the system goes further, it also manages to combine multiple cameras at the same time to form a more complete view of the environment, this allows the robots to understand disordered spaces or partially hidden objects or constantly changing scenarios.

In other words, it is beginning to be seen as an integrated system, but perhaps the most symbolic function is another, the new model can read real instruments, pressure gauges, digital panels, analog indicators, industrial meters, that is, the robot begins to interpret physical signals from the world without depending on interfaces created exclusively for it. This brings these machines closer to true operational reality.

In collaboration with Boston Dynamics, the technology is also being tested in robots such as Spot, used in technical inspections and complex environments. According to the disclosed tests, the precision and readability of these instruments increased dramatically compared to previous generations, but there is an even more important detail, Google stated that this is also the safest robotic system it has developed, with improved ability to detect risks and follow physical safety limits.