from IEE Spectrum
BY Steven Cherry // Wed, May 30, 2012
Hi, this is Steven Cherry for IEEE Spectrum’s “Techwise Conversations.”
Computers are sometimes thought to be electromechanical representations of our minds, and if so, then robots are electromechanical representations of our entire selves—minds plus bodies. We ought, then, to be able to learn about ourselves—as selves, and even as a species—by building and studying robots. But there’s a problem. Most robots are built for very specific purposes, and therefore only do very specific things. They move a part on an assembly line, or weld a joint, or vacuum the floor, or scurry through rubble looking for bodies or bombs.
My guest today is building general robots, with an eye to studying robotic evolution, in order to better understand biological evolution. . . . Read Complete Report
