Robot Teaches Itself How to Walk, A

Synopsis

Video recording of a presentation given at swissnex San Francisco on 19/1/2012 at which scientists from Switzerland and the US discuss their research on humanoid robots, cognitive robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI). They talk about how some robots self-reflect, self-improve, and adapt to new circumstances, and whether it’s possible for robots of the future to possess the same cognitive characteristics as humans.

Cornell University’s Hod Lipson is seeking to understand iwhether machines can learn analytical laws automatically. For centuries, scientists have attempted to identify and document analytical laws underlying physical phenomena in nature. Despite the prevalence of computing power, the process of finding natural laws and their corresponding equations has resisted automation. Lipson has developed machines that take in information about their environment and discover natural laws all on their own, even learning to walk.

Rolf Pfeifer directs the Artificial Intelligence Lab at the University of Zurich. Together with his scientific assistant Pascal Kaufmann, Pfeifer presents current AI research and a humanoid robot in the Ecce family referred to as Cronos. Standard humanoid robots mimic the human form but they generally function quite differently—and their characteristics reflect this. This places severe limitations on the kinds of interactions robots can engage in, on the knowledge they can acquire about their environment, and on the nature of their cognitive engagement. Instead of copying only the outward form of a human, Cronos mimics the inner structures as well—bones, joints, muscles, and tendons—and thus has more human-like actions and interactions in the world. (100 minutes)

Language

English

Country

United States

Year of release

2012

Year of production

2012

Subjects

Electrical & Electronic Engineering; Technology

Keywords

artificial intelligence; robots

Online availability

URI

http://fora.tv/2012/01/19/Cognitive_Robotics_and_Artificial_Intelligence?utm_source=FORA.tv+New+Member&utm_campaign=36627f599c-Newsletter_2_15_2012&utm_medium=email#A_Robot_Teaches_Itself_How_to_Walk

Price

free

Delivery

Streamed

Credits

Contributor

Hod Lipson; Pascal Kaufmann; Rolf Pfeifer

Distributor

Name

Fora.tv

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Notes

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