Obama

PITTSBURGH — Need help defusing a bomb, mowing a lawn or scraping old paint?

President Barack Obama might see robots that can do those tasks today when he visits the National Robotics Engineering Center at Carnegie Mellon University. It’s one of eight research centers at the school’s Robotics Institute.

The institute has been a global force in robotics development over the last 30 years. Its scientists have created robot vehicles to scout out war zones, medical robots, entertainment robots and even the SnackBot, which ferries snacks to people so scientists can study how humans respond to machines.

With growing interest from the military, businesses and consumers, the institute has more than 500 technical experts and a $65 million annual budget. And its scientists aren’t just asking questions — they’re building robots that ask questions, too.

Institute director Matthew Mason told The Associated Press that in the early days of robotics research the vision was for machines to do the dull, dirty or dangerous jobs that humans shun.

“But now we think not so much of a robot instead of a person, but of robotic technology working with people,” Mason said. That could mean helping the elderly or sick cope with basic household tasks, or helping a doctor perform surgery.

For Manuela Veloso, a scientist at the institute, a key step was building robots that are aware they don’t have all the answers.

“They know the bounds of their ability. If they are not confident, they stop,” and then ask a human a question, she said.

Her robots also learn that some people in the office don’t have the time or inclination to answer questions.

“The robot plans not only with a model of the environment, but a plan of the people in the environment,” she said.