AI agents are no longer confined to software—they can now inhabit physical devices like robots, cars, or even household appliances. This embedding brings their intelligence into the tangible world, enhanced by smart sensors and the ability to collaborate as a team within a single device. Here’s how agents take on physical forms and expand their capabilities.
Residing in Devices
Agents can be integrated into a variety of physical platforms, turning everyday objects into smart, responsive systems.
- A robot vacuum might house an agent that maps your home, dodging furniture while learning your cleaning preferences.
- In a car, an agent could manage navigation, adjusting routes based on traffic or driver habits, making the vehicle a proactive partner.
- Even a kitchen appliance, like a smart oven, could host an agent that suggests recipes and adjusts cooking times based on what’s inside.
Perceiving Through Smart Sensors
Once embedded, agents gain new ways of sensing the world, leveraging advanced hardware to interact with their surroundings.
- Cameras let them recognize faces or objects—like a delivery drone identifying your porch for a drop-off.
- Microphones pick up voice commands or ambient sounds, allowing a home agent to respond to a baby’s cry or a shouted request.
- Temperature or motion sensors enable precise reactions, such as a robotic arm adjusting its grip when it detects a fragile item.
A Society of Agents in One Device
A single physical form doesn’t mean a single agent—devices can host multiple agents working together, each with its own role.
- In a self-driving car, one agent might handle speed and braking, while another monitors road signs, and a third chats with passengers, all coordinating seamlessly.
- A factory robot could have an agent planning its assembly tasks, another checking quality, and a third managing energy use, forming a mini-team inside one shell.
- This collaboration mimics a society, where specialized agents share goals but divide labor for efficiency.