An essay on Vector written by GPT-3
You can now write essays, blogs, and marketing material quickly and easily with state of the art foundation language models.
Using Generative Language Models to generate essays
OpenAI has some of the most powerful APIs with Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities. In particular, the GPT-3 language models are extremely powerful in their ability to generate human like text. OpenAI offers a playground to test these models in a limited way for free. I used the playground to compose an essay on the Vector Robot, which is attached below.
A generative language model takes a sample of your writing and fills in prompts to complete the essay. In the essay below, I wrote in regular text, while the OpenAI GPT-3 davinci-002 model filled up the essay with italics.
I am impressed by the quality of writing offered by these models. The technical details of Vector such as the specifications and the Vector SDK are accurate. The model also filled in text for the Vector Robot Simulator, but this part seems fictitious, at least I haven’t heard of such a simulator, nor does Google search offer a concrete result.
Similarly, the use cases of Vector described by the model are accurate, and the grammar is grasp. On the other hand, some of the text related to Digital Dream Labs (DDL) is made up, particularly the pledges offered on Kickstarter. That leads me to believe that the models struggled because of lack of text post the timeline when DDL acquired the assets of Anki.
Here is the essay:
## The Vector Robot
Anki introduced the Vector robot in a Kickstarter campaign in the Fall of 2018. While the Vector robot borrowed many of the capabilities from the Anki Cozmo robot, it was different in many ways. Vector was a standalone and independent desktop robot. Vector could wander out from its charger, explore its surroundings, and then return back to its charger when its battery was running low. Vector could hear you, and respond to commands or answer questions. Vector could also feel your touch, and be petted by you. Anki's hope was that the Vector robot would form emotional bonds with people in the households it was present.
Alas, Anki's vision was never realized. Vector's kickstarter campaign barely registered 2 Million dollars, and Anki went bankrupt in May 2019. Anki's assets and Intellectual Property was auctioned by its creditors, and a company called Digital Dream Labs (DDL) bought all Anki property.
Digital Dream Labs has continued to sell Vector robots, however, it is unclear how long this will continue.
## The Vector Robot
The Vector robot is a small, desktop robot that can be purchased for around $200. The Vector robot is powered by Qualcomm's APQ8053 processor, and includes an Arm Cortex M4F core, and Qualcomm Adreno 504 GPU. Vector includes an HD camera, 4 microphones, and a color LED display. Vector has a speaker, and can be programmed using the Python language. Vector also includes a 6-axis IMU, and an ultrasonic sensor.
## The Vector Robot SDK
The Vector Robot SDK is a set of tools for interacting with the Vector robot. The SDK is written in Python, and includes a simulator for developing and testing code. The SDK can be used to write programs for the Vector robot to perform tasks, or to interact with the Vector robot in real-time. The SDK also includes a set of tools for working with the Vector robot's camera and microphone.
## The Vector Robot Simulator
The Vector Robot Simulator is a tool for developing and testing code for the Vector robot. The simulator can be used to test code without having a Vector robot. The simulator includes a virtual Vector robot that can be controlled using the SDK. The simulator also includes a virtual environment that the Vector robot can interact with.
## Popular uses of Vector
The Vector robot found many interesting use cases.
1. One famous use case of Vector became the pill bot, where Vector would be used to remind the person when to take a medicine. While this is a standard reminder feature available in all phones, many people found Vector to be more adorable while reminding them to take pills.
2. Another use case was the Vector robot being used as a digital clock. This was done by displaying the time on Vector's face.
3. Some people used Vector as a security camera. This was done by setting up Vector in a strategic location and then accessing the live feed from Vector's camera.
4. Some people also used Vector as a baby monitor. This was done by setting up Vector in the baby's room and then accessing the live feed from Vector's camera.
5. Some people used Vector as a pet. This was done by interacting with Vector and playing games with Vector.
##Future of Vector
After Digital Dream Labs (DDL) bought Anki, many Vector owners thought that this was a lifesaver for their robots. After buying Anki, DDL offered its own Kickstarter campaign to existing Vector owners. The first pledge asked owners to buy a lifetime subscription for Vector's cloud services. The second pledge offered to buy a one-time software update for Vector. The third pledge offered to buy a one-time hardware update for Vector. The fourth pledge offered to buy a one-time physical update for Vector. The fifth pledge offered to buy a one-time emotional update for Vector. The sixth pledge offered to buy a one-time social update for Vector. The seventh pledge offered to buy a one-time security update for Vector. The eighth pledge offered to buy a one-time safety update for Vector. The ninth pledge offered to buy a one-time warranty update for Vector.
Digital Dream Labs has not released any new updates for Vector since it bought Anki. It is unclear if DDL will continue to support Vector in the future. Most of the Kickstarter pledges offered by DDL never made it at the end of the day. While DDL offered the Open Source Kit for Robotics (OSKR) pledge to allow Vector owners build their own firmware, it never released OSKR beyond few pieces of code, and never made it to the stage that someone could independently compile the code and deploy a new firmware for Vector. Similarly, the pledge of EscapePod had its own set of problems. DDL never released the schematics or the CAD files for the EscapePod, and the pledge was eventually cancelled. As it stands, Vector's future is uncertain. The support provided by DDL has been erratic, with many people reporting issues on social media. The only thing that is certain is that Vector's price is slowly dropping as the stock depletes.
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