The Washington Post

In an interview, Carnegie Mellon University Personal Computer Lab director and professor Siddhartha Srinivasa discusses his work with the Home Exploring Robot Butler (HERB). The robot has advanced manipulation skills that enable it to perform multiple functions, including unloading a dishwasher, disassembling an Oreo cookie, and acting in a play. "[HERB] was designed and developed with the main goal of manipulating in cluttered and uncertain environments with and around people," Srinivasa notes. HERB was programmed to take the Oreo apart through the algorithmic crafting of a special Oreo cookie detector, and Srinivasa says the differing thicknesses of the cookies and cream have been problematic, with HERB only succeeding two times out of 10. To read further, please visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/herb-a-robot-that-can-unload-a-dishwasher-and-sometimes-take-apart-an-oreo/2014/09/15/d1996eee-26ee-11e4-8593-da634b334390_story.html.