The iCub robot recently made its debut in the UK. This European robot is based on a three-and-a-half year-old child. The RobotCub project was founded to study cognition through the creation of the iCub. It is an open source software project.
It is capable of human-like eye and head motion, leg movement, object recognition and a grasping movement. Currently in development in Italy, the aim of the five-year £7.5m project is to develop a highly dextrous humanoid child robot. Scientists want to give it the ability to crawl on all fours and sit up, to handle objects with precision and to have head and eye movements similar to those of humans.
Science fiction fans may recall the robot child portrayed by Haley Joel Osment in Steven Spielberg's AI (from Brian Aldiss' excellent 1969 short story Super-Toys Last All Summer Long). His excellent performance demonstrates how creepy it is for a robot to be human.
Mika The Robot-Boss
'the robot-boss was busy at the lip of the new lode instructing and egging the men on to greater speed...' - David C. Cooke, 1939.
Sensitive, Soft Robot Skin
'...tinted material that had all the feel and appearance of human flesh and epidermis.' - Harl Vincent, 1934.
Finger Sensors For Robot Hands
'What strange sensitivity! What an amazing development of science was manifested in every move and act and word of this Robot!' - Ray Cummings, 1931.
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