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Human vs. Machine

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JPL engineers recently built
a new kind of drone

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--one piloted by
artificial intelligence.

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The drone uses cameras
to track its position

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[Engineer's voice] A wide field
camera on the front here--

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and then also on the bottom here

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there's a second wide
field view camera.

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[on-screen] then matches it
with a pre-loaded map.

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To test it, engineers set up
an obstacle course

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in a JPL warehouse.

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[animation traces the path
of the obstacle course]

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And just for fun,

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invited world-class drone pilot
Ken Loo to race against it.

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A.I. driven

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Human driven

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[split screen with
race-timing counters]

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The winner?

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The A.I.-piloted drone averaged
13.9 seconds per lap.

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Loo's drone averaged
11.1 seconds.

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Although slower, the
A.I.-piloted drone

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completed the course
with accuracy

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--capping off two years
of research into drone autonomy

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funded by Google

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Don't be surprised
if you hear more

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about autonomous drones
in the future.

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Researchers hope that one day

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drones could be piloting
themselves around warehouses

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or even navigating disaster
areas to find survivors.

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[drone sounds]

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NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory