What would I love to do?': A look at the University of Idaho students building the next generation of robots

What would I love to do?': A look at the University of Idaho students building the next generation of robots describes how students at the University of Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene campus work with functional robotic systems inside a $5 million lab tied to the UI Center for Intelligent Industrial Robotics. The article highlights examples including a two-fingered piano-playing robot named Larry, autonomous robotic arms that can lift up to 400 pounds, and a four-wheeled cart designed to find and zap weeds using 3,500 volts. It says most automation runs continuously, though some units are out of commission, and professor John Shovic, the center’s director, said students broke about $7,000 worth of equipment last year. Starting in the fall, the university will introduce three new degree programs integrating AI, automation, and robotics, alongside eight new AI-specific courses for a total of 14 AI courses. Students can pursue bachelor’s, Master of Science, or Master of Engineering degrees, with graduate programs available online, as the university positions “physical AI” beyond large language models like ChatGPT.