A science fiction concept becomes a reality: Robot With 20,000 Brain Cells Built to Learn

The thinking robot – Nomad

Most real robots you see nowadays are really nothing more than overachieving remote controlled toys. These automatons provide the “ooh’s” and “ahh’s” from watchers for about 2.7 seconds before they move on to the next neat novelty.

Granted they are getting better and better, but for the most part, these machines are based on advanced computer principles rather than human ones, and those that purport to be more human-like are nothing more than over-hyped robots only slightly smarter than your toaster.

But now scientists in California’s Neurosciences Institute (NSI) in La Jolla have created a robot called “Darwin VII” that operates on biological principles rather than computing ones.

The trashcan-shaped robot has what works like 20,000 “brain cells.” It uses a CCD camera for vision, microphones for its hearing, and various sensors for touch and taste, as well as effectors and manipulators for ambulatory movement and articulation.

The robot is currently in an “infant” stage, not just figuratively, but literally because it can crawl across a floor and grab objects, all without human help or preconfigured instructions. It even has what resembles a “mind” that is impressionable and displays human-like traits such as a desire to learn.

Driven by instincts, Darwin VII explores its environment and adapts to it. The robot also develops a liking for tasting things, with an almost natural perceptiveness, and decides what tastes good or not. The technology isn’t too far from how children develop, and how the way they explore their own surroundings.

Scientists say the robot will point out that certain types of blocks taste good while spotted ones do not.

The some 20,000 brain cells it reportedly has may not sound like much when compared to humans, but it’s a huge leap in the development of robots. And given the rapid development of computers, it shouldn’t take very long before the quantity of such brain cells will multiply, giving it a whole new set of capabilities.

Source: Oh My News
Written By: Nicholas Mercader