A baby robot called iCub would soon help researchers study how a robot may be able to develop and pick up language skills. Researchers at the School of Computer Science of the University of Hertfordshire are working with an international team led by the University of Plymouth on a project called ITALK or Integration of Transfer of Action and Language Knowledge in Robots.

ITALK project aims to teach the robot to develop language skills by using the same methods that is used by human parents to teach their children. Professor Chrystopher Nehaniv and Professor Kerstin Dautenhahn, both professors at the University of Hertfordshire and also leading experts in Artificial Intelligence and Human Robot Interaction, will be conducting the experiments in human and robot language interaction in order to enable the robot to talk with humans.

One of the typical experiments that will be conducted with the iCub would be activities such as inserting objects of various shapes into their corresponding holes inside a box, stacking wooden blocks as well as serializing nested cups. The robot will also be taught how to name objects and actions so that it can develop using simple phrases to converse with humans. Read more »

In the not so distant future, robots may be able to recognize and learn from their experiences. At least that is what European researchers in Sweden are trying to develop. In no time, robots may be learning just like humans do.

A team of European researchers led by a team from Linkoping University in Sweden has developed an artificial cognitive system that learns from experience, by trial and error and observation rather than learning based on predefined rules. The researchers in the COSPAL project made use of an innovative approach to help robots recognize identify as well as interact with objects especially in unforeseen situations.

In the traditional sense, robots do actions by carrying out complex calculations such as measuring the geometry of an object and then measuring the trajectory of an object as it moves. This is unlike human thinking which researchers say are based more on experience and observation rather than complex calculations. A notable example would be how children learn when growing up. Read more »

The field of robotics has gone a long way in developing better and more intelligent robots. Although they may not yet be considered among the ranks of the giant robots that most people are familiar with in popular Japanese anise, the robotics experts are slowly aspiring to get there. It would only be a matter of time when these robots may be able to find themselves as part of our reality instead of just in our imaginations.

But until then, experts is robotics have still a lot to cover. And in the field of long distance walking, a robot has just set a record that may set the bar for other robots in the future. According to an article in the Science Daily website, a team of Cornell students created a robot that was able to walk around the University track nonstop for a little of over nine kilometers or 5.6 miles.

The team of Cornell students, guided by Andy Rubina, professor of theoretical and applied mechanics at Cornell University, developed a robot that walked around the Barton Hall running track continuously without stopping for 45 laps, which is good for about nine kilometers. The said robot was said to have stopped only because its batteries may have died. Read more »

With a big portion of the human population going into retirement anytime soon, a shortage of people who care for the elderly would be in great demand in the future. With already a shortage of such personnel being felt in many parts of the country, some researchers have started to look for other ways to fill in the void. Some of them has eyed robots designed to help cared for the elderly. This possibility won't be a long time coming as would have been previously thought.

According to an article on the ScienceDaily website, researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst were able to develop a robot that can dial 911 in case of emergencies, help the elderly with tasks such as shopping for groceries, allows a person to talk to loved ones and medical personnel and many more.

The robot, dubbed as uBOT-5, was developed as a robotic assistant to allow the elderly to live independently as well as provide relief to the various tasks of caregivers as well as those in community services. With an expected elderly population of American retirees numbering about 77 million in the next 30 years, this development may find a niche that would be quite useful in terms of elderly care.

The design of uBOT-5 was inspired by the human anatomy. It has an array of sensors that acts as its ears and eyes to allow it to recognize human activities such as walking and sitting. The robot can also recognize an abnormal event visually, such as an elderly falling down, and notify a caregiver.

The robot also has an integrated interface where the patient or elderly may communicate with a remote service provider. Through the interface, a patient may be asked to speak or perform some actions. If the person remains unresponsive, the robot can call 911, notify family members and medical personnel as well as apply a digital stethoscope to the patient and convey the information to an emergency medical technician. Read more »