How Robots Can Help Manage Cities

Managing director at Coal Hill Ventures and the Robotics Hub, Chris Moehle has been active in the robotics sector for more than half a decade, and has been instrumental in funding numerous ventures in the field. Headed by Chris Moehle, the Robotics Hub has worked with Allvision IO to develop new ways for people and organizations to improve decision-making through spatial data analysis in urban areas–part of a growing trend of using robots to help design cities.

Future-focused cities such as Shanghai are already deploying many robotic systems to help manage and improve city functions. Autonomous delivery robots, service robots, and self-driving shuttles are just a few examples of robotic system use.

Another city with an eye on robotics is Dubai, where plans are coming together to use robots to assist with public services such as policing. The city plans to automate a quarter of its police force by 2030 with the help of human-like police robots.

Robots are also supporting improved city management, by helping determine optimal resource allocation for low-resource communities. Here, robots can make a big impact by using fewer funds in the resource distribution process.

Educational Benefits of Robots to Children

Chris Moehle is the managing director of the Robotics Hub, a fund that focuses on identifying breakthroughs in robotics and helping to leverage these innovations into successful companies. As an advocate of robotic problem-solving, Chris Moehle dedicates his time to working with transformational robotics startups that have significant potential to shape the future landscape of robotics. In this role, he is well aware of the societal impact of robotics currently and yet to come.

Manufacturers of robotic educational toys are finding that playing with robots can serve as an important educational tool. One of the main points that sets apart robots from more passive toys is that children can learn from teaching a robot. They engage in a form of peer-to-peer tutoring when programming their robot toys. In a world where programming and software design is the most sought-after profession, learning the basics of programming from an early age is a clear advantage. Programmable toys also inject a sense of imagination and creativity that is good to associate with programming, rather than introducing children to a rote task that needs to be completed. With more such toys on the way, robots could become an essential force in shaping children’s futures.

Choitek Megamart – A Robot That Blends Science, Food, and Education

Since 2015, business executive Chris Moehle has been serving The Robotics Hub as managing director. In this role, Chris Moehle leveraged his experience in the robotics industry to assist the Pittsburgh-based whiskey producer Wigle in deploying its new robot that will aid in the malting of grains to produce whiskey.

Wigle collaborated with The Robotics Hub, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), and the Food Studies Program of Chatham University to create a robot that will perform the repetitive task of malting grains. According to Meredith Grelli, co-owner of Wigle, traditional floor malting done manually by humans is not a very fun thing to watch. In floor malting, the grains are wetted to usher in the process of germination. Using peat as a source of fuel, the grains are heated to stop them from sprouting. This is done by hand with a rake.

In her desire to mix established tradition with new technology, Grelli called for the collaborative effort to create the robot Choitek Megamart. Choitek Megamart is the brainchild of CMU student John Choi. His passion for robotics fueled his work on the project for a year and a half.

Using arms that are assembled parallel to the ground, Choitek Megamart rakes the grain by moving to and fro on rails, a movement that resembles raking a zen garden. The movement is activated as electrical impulses are sent to activators through the robot’s “heart,” an Arduino Mega 2560. The robot uses open-source software. Choi said his creation gives robotics a place in the blending of science with craft distilling in the Pittsburgh community. While this has potential industrial applications at scale, this early version is focusing on communicating the process to human visitors.

Economic Sectors that will Benefit from Advanced Robotics

Chris Moehle, an experienced entrepreneur, is the Managing Director of The Robotics Hub and Coal Hill Ventures. At Coal Hill Ventures, Chris Moehle’s impactful contributions has initiated the launch of Robotics Hub Accelerator and Venture Fund – an initiative designed to tackle the challenges of advanced robotics.

Laymen always align the industrial use of robots with manufacturing. However, robotics has expanded tremendously in recent years to the extent that robots are programmed to perform better (and faster) than humans. A revolution in advanced robotics is anticipated in the future and more economic sectors is expected to benefit immensely from the revolution.

Artificial intelligence used in the retail industry has changed and enhanced consumer experience. Rather than use obsolete credit card readers, nowadays, robots can greet customers, check prices, track inventory and help customers find the products they need.

Food and hospitality industry leaders use advanced robotics to improve customer experience with their clients. While front desk personnel chats with customers, a robot is processing their payments. A restaurant staff engages with clients while a robot prepares the table. Amazingly, advanced robotics is used to track information about spas, hikes, and other hotspots that interest guests.

The construction industry has also felt the impact of Advanced robotics revolution. Robotic machines are capable of building a housing unit in one day. The robot Hadrian X, for instance, can stack up to 1,000 bricks in one hour.