Open-Source Robot for Playing Chess with Humans: Imagine sitting across a chessboard, not from a friend or a family member, but from a robot. This isn’t a scene from a sci-fi movie, but a reality made possible by open-source robotic systems. These systems are not only changing the game of chess but also opening up exciting possibilities for the future of human-robot interactions.
Delft University of Technology’s Robotic System
One such system has been developed by researchers at Delft University of Technology. This robotic system can play chess against a human user in a real-world environment. It’s not just about winning the game; this system is designed for human-robot interaction research. It can plan its future chess moves and move pieces just like a human player would.
This innovative robot, detailed in a paper pre-published on arXiv, represents a significant advancement in human-robot interaction research. The team led by Renchi Zhang and Joost de Winter designed this robot to explore verbal and non-verbal interactions through the standardized environment that chess provides.
The robotic platform developed by the researchers comprises both hardware and software components. The hardware includes a Franka Emika Panda robotic arm with 7 degrees of freedom, a Franka robotic hand, a customized 3D-printed gripper, a ZED2 StereoLabs camera, and an NVIDIA Jetson Nano computer among other components.
On the software side, the system incorporates modules for perception, analysis and evaluation, motion planning and execution, as well as interaction. The perception module processes images of the chess board captured by the ZED2 camera, while the analysis and evaluation module uses a chess engine to predict moves based on these images.
Subsequently, the motion planning and execution module translates these predicted moves into actions executed by the robot. To facilitate communication with human players, an interaction module leverages OpenAI’s conversational platform ChatGPT to generate responses to user queries.
The researchers highlighted that their OpenChessRobot not only recognizes chess pieces using computer vision but also executes moves and interacts with human players using voice commands and robotic gestures. They meticulously documented the software design, conducted quantitative evaluations of the robot’s performance, and provided guidelines for reproducibility.
Other Open Source Robots for Playing Chess with Humans
Raspberry Turk
But the Delft University’s system isn’t the only player in the game. Meet the Raspberry Turk, an open-source robot created by Joey Meyer. This robot uses a Raspberry Pi, a small and affordable computer, to control a robot arm that moves chess pieces across the board. The Raspberry Turk uses an open-source chess engine called Stockfish to compete against a human player. So, not only can it move the pieces, but it can also strategize and plan its moves!
There’s also a chess robot project on Instructables, a community for people who like to make things. This project explains how to build a stand-alone system that uses sensors underneath each block of the chessboard to determine the movement of the pieces. This system runs its own software to control the robot, meaning it doesn’t need any external software or hardware.
Maia Chess
Last but not least, there’s Maia Chess, an ongoing research project that uses chess as a case study for designing better human-AI interactions. Maia Chess aims to capture how people at different levels play chess by training different versions of Maia using millions of human games. It’s not just about creating a robot that can play chess, but about understanding how humans play and interact with the game.
Closing Remarks
These open-source robotic systems are not just about playing a game of chess. They represent the future of robotics and artificial intelligence. They show us how robots can interact with humans in a meaningful way, not just in performing tasks but also in engaging in activities that require strategy and thought.
So, the next time you sit down for a game of chess, don’t be surprised if your opponent is a robot. And remember, whether you win or lose, you’re part of a bigger game – the exciting journey of human-robot interactions.
For more intriguing insights into other STEM-related topics, visit ENTECH. Explore our digital magazine dedicated to inspiring teenagers and young adults to pursue their passions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
