April 9, 2021
University of Missouri College of Engineering researchers are partnering with the Army Engineer Research and Development Center to improve a machine’s ability to see and understand physical objects.
Part of the project focuses on understanding why artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms sometimes fail to correctly recognize objects and images. That information will be used to determine what properties a material would need to interact ideally with those algorithms.
Developing such material could have numerous applications.
For autonomous vehicles, the material could amplify some objects while essentially filtering out objects you may not want a self-driving car to see. For instance, the vehicle needs to see a person in front of it, but it should not respond to a person in an advertisement image on the side of the road.
In another example, using the new material in clothing could make it easier for autonomous cars to detect cyclists or pedestrians in poor lighting conditions.
In military applications, it could help save lives by improving vision-guided drones or ground vehicles in support of troop transport, navigation and exploration.
