Free Web NovelChapter 233: Chapter 183 Are-you-kidding-me?_2
Academic conferences serve as a platform for professionals in their field to exchange research, making both the academic presentations and the opportunities for communication equally important.
In the computer industry, top-level academic exchanges always involve capital investment, which is driven by the pursuit of advanced technology. Therefore, many people attend these conferences with the dual purpose of academic exchange and attracting investment for their research and development (R&D) projects.
Qian Zhijin successfully attracted capital.
After listening to two more presentations, he confidently left the conference hall. Representatives of various tech companies came up to him to inquire about the dynamic recognition technology.
The Intelligence and Automation Lab made a name for itself right away.
That was precisely Qian Zhijin’s intention.
Even though Zhao Yi owned the rights to the robot, the lab’s reputation grew because of their R&D collaboration. Their newfound fame could attract more R&D investment.
Once the lab had more investment, it could attract more talent and conduct high-end research. frёewebnoѵēl.com
This was a mutually rewarding cycle.
Qian Zhijin discussed the performance of the robot shopping system, its ’black technology’, and its upcoming test on the 10th of the next month with a group of corporate representatives.
The test was crucial.
If the robot passed the test and demonstrated impressive technology, it would have no trouble attracting capital.
The current academic conference was merely a chance to advertise - the successful robot test is what truly add value.
The test was scheduled for the tenth of next month, a date chosen based on the progress of the R&D.
In reality, when Xu Chao took the robot to the capital, the shopping system already had a basic structure and could even perform a simple shopping test, although it was not yet perfect.
The Intelligence and Automation Lab assessed the robot’s performance and was absolutely astounded. The robot performed even better than anticipated.
Qian Zhijin and Zhao Yi decided to create some big news, to make the robot an overnight sensation.
They agreed that the robot’s performance had to be perfected.
Zhao Yi agreed without hesitation. He owned all the technology, so even if the lab was involved, they would only act as an ’intermediary body’ during the commercial technology transfer process. Making improvements only stood to benefit him.
Qian Zhijin had his own considerations.
Collaborating with Zhao Yi on the robot shopping system project would definitely not result in a loss for the Intelligence and Automation Lab, even though Zhao Yi held all property rights. The lab would participate in commercial technology transfer negotiations, giving external corporate clients peace of mind with their hard-hitting brand name in the process. This would allow the lab to make a profit.
The profit margin might be small, but the large sums involved in technology transfer make it worth the effort. They could easily recoup their investment in technology, hardware, and personnel.
More importantly, they earned a reputation.
Many universities have provincial-level computer labs dedicated to intelligent technology research, some of which are highly skilled, while others are not. The Intelligence and Automation Lab, even though it is based at Yanhua University, was not particularly notable. Many people assumed it could not compete with similar labs at Capital University or Shuimu University.
If the lab could make a splash and gain fame overnight, it might be the first one companies think of when planning to invest in new technology research and development.
The robot shopping system was still not perfect.
For example, there was a problem with shopping recognition.
During the first test, the robot had a ’box of milk problem’, it could not be sure that the object was a box of milk. It had to scan all the goods and determine the one that was ’most likely a box of milk’. It also had to record the location of these items, which made the route and calculations complex.
Adjustments had to be made. Initially, the robot should retrieve objects which ’might be the target’ and remember where they were taken from. If it finds another object that has a higher likelihood of being the target, it should also take that. Once all the items had been successfully retrieved, the robot would return the unnecessary items to their original locations.
This was a more human-like approach.
While this might seem simple, the issue becomes complicated when multi-threading and multi-tasking target operations are involved. Despite programming, the system would still have many loopholes which would require gradual perfection.
Additionally, there was much room for improvement in the robot’s navigation system.
The robot’s navigation system was designed based on the images captured by four cameras and involved a series of calculations. The lab could utilize these functions and equip the robot with more suitable cameras to perfect it. They could also add a feature to identify targets being ’fellow shoppers’, allowing the robot to operate without being impacted by the crowd of shoppers.
Lastly, the robot’s ’appearance’ was also a significant issue.
As the robot would be publicly tested and subjected to media scrutiny, its appearance mattered. The lab was considering designing an appealing exterior, pairing it with perfectly suited hardware and making improvements to its overall appearance.
And so on.
There were still many tasks the lab had to complete.
All of these tasks required time.
The robot shopping system was not designed to create a robot capable of shopping like a human, it was merely a showcase, much like the humanoid robots that tech companies continually strive to perfect. The intelligent technology was amalgamated into one robot for development.
The robot symbolizes technical capabilities and the integration of technology, allowing companies to purchase the technology they need.
