Amazon has been working on an improved version of its Astro home robot. The company has developed a technology called “Contextual Understanding” that will allow the robot to better understand what it sees and respond to things more intelligently.
The Burnham technology is a secret initiative that adds a layer of “intelligence and a conversational spoken interface” to Astro, according to internal documents obtained by Insider.
What is Burnham?
Burnham is an initiative that will be extended to a number of products. It’s an artificial intelligence technology that Amazon hopes will appear in future robots. Burnham allows the robot to understand what it sees and derive meaning from those interactions. The robot can hold a question and answer dialogue and take action based on what it understands. For example, if the robot finds a burning stove or an unattended running faucet, it can find the owner and get his attention. If an elderly person falls in the kitchen, the robot can check that they are okay and call others to help. If it is an emergency situation, Burnham will automatically call 911.
Astro and his problems
Astro is an Alexa-powered home surveillance robot that Amazon launched 18 months ago. Despite years of investment and hundreds of people working on it, Astro has received lackluster reviews and remains hard to buy as it remains invite-only. Burnham is the next phase of growth for Astro, an attempt to improve its intelligence and its abilities to respond to the needs of the home.
Language model technology
Burnham uses large language model technology and other artificial intelligence advances. Language modeling technology enables the robot to understand and process natural language, allowing for a more fluid and natural dialogue with home owners. The technology also allows the robot to infer meaning from what it sees, allowing it to understand the complexities of the home. Amazon has been working on improving this technology for its products and services, such as Alexa, and is increasingly investing in it.
Prospects for the future
Burnham is an example of how Amazon is working to incorporate advanced artificial intelligence into its products. The technology has applications in a number of products and services. Amazon expects Burnham to be a technology that will significantly improve home surveillance, providing an additional layer of security and peace of mind for homeowners.
Ideally, all devices that already have Alexa will become super-smart overnight, although the hardware may not be ready for so many artificial neurons.
