February 28, 2008: Robot Baby
 

http://cellar.org/2008/robotcub.jpg

This is the iCub or Robotcub. Over the next four years, researchers at the University of Plymouth plan to teach it to talk using observations of the way parents teach their babies. Note that it's toddler size. They seem to view this as important. i wonder if it also has virtual diapers? Perhaps operating on a sort of GIGO principle?

Robotcub home
BBC Article

casper the creepy robot. eek!

Uh...WHY?

They're teaching it to say "I'll be back," "Phased-plasma rifle in the forty watt range," and "Nice night for a walk."

I imagine they're trying to understand how to make artificial intelligence more intuitive, or user-friendly, by teaching it in the normal way humans learn things. The fact that it is small and cute must help them to remember not to give it special "robot" treatment.

It reminds me of the online collective where you can log in train a computer somewhere to know things that humans don't have to be told, they've just picked up through observation and context. Computers can't extrapolate things the way we can, so they're trying to stock this thing with a list of logical parameters until it begings to understand how things work.

At least it will never turn 12, and completely forget how things work

Skynet, anyone?

Dunno, though, looks like Cubbie here needs a trip to the AIOptometrist for treatment of that lazy eye.

Hmmm, wonder who the dad is: Larry Birkhead or Howard K Stern?

lol!!! Now they've made robot children to be the boss of Flint. Awesome.

Double-whammy.