Microsoft launches open-source tool for smarter, safer robots and AI systems

Microsoft has launched an open-source tool to help make safer drones and artificial intelligence systems that are more aware of their environment.

It will be open to researchers and developers to use to train and test robots, drones and other gadgets for operating autonomously and safely.The Aerial Informatics and Robotics platform includes software that allows researchers to quickly write code to control aerial robots and other gadgets and a “highly realistic” simulator to collect data for training an artificial intelligence (AI) system and testing it virtually before deploying it in the real world.

Ashish Kapoor, a Microsoft researcher who is leading the project, said it is hoped the tool will spawn “major progress” in creating AI gadgets the public can trust to drive cars, deliver packages or even do our laundry.

“The aspirational goal is really to build systems that can operate in the real world,” he said.

Microsoft said its approach differs from other AI research projects, which have focused on teaching systems to be successful in more artificial environments that have well-defined rules, such as playing board games.