ScienceDaily: Artificial Intelligence News

A tiny programmable fly's eye

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:54:54 EDT

A novel curved artificial compound eye (CurvACE) has been created. Compared to single-lens eyes, compound eyes offer lower resolution, but significantly larger fields of view, thin package, and with negligible distortion.

Photonic quantum computers: A brighter future than ever

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:38:38 EDT

Harnessing the unique features of the quantum world promises a dramatic speed-up in information processing as compared to the fastest classical machines. Scientists have succeeded in prototyping a new and highly resource efficient model of a quantum computer -- the boson sampling computer.

More than a good eye: Robot uses arms, location and more to discover objects

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:40:40 EDT

A robot can struggle to discover objects in its surroundings when it relies on computer vision alone. But by taking advantage of all of the information available to it -- an object's location, size, shape and even whether it can be lifted -- a robot can continually discover and refine its understanding of objects, say researchers.

Cyberbullying rampant among high school students: Nearly one-third of youths also report playing video/computer games for more than 3 hours a day

Sun, 05 May 2013 07:37:37 EDT

Step into a class of 30 high school students and look around. Five of them have been victims of electronic bullying in the past year. What's more, 10 of those students spend three or more hours on an average school day playing video games or using a computer for something other than school work, according to a new study.

Robots take part in a space simulation

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:41:41 EDT

The two robots Flobi and Nao worked full time for three weeks in an isolation study in Cologne. Scientists were studying how these intelligent assistance systems can help astronauts to keep fit – both physically and mentally. However, it was not just the people who were on trial, but the robots as well. The scientists were testing both their suitability and their durability. The experiment ended on Saturday.

Robotic insects make first controlled flight

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:26:26 EDT

In the very early hours of the morning, in a Harvard robotics laboratory last summer, an insect took flight. Half the size of a paperclip, weighing less than a tenth of a gram, it leaped a few inches, hovered for a moment on fragile, flapping wings, and then sped along a preset route through the air. This demonstration of the first controlled flight of an insect-sized robot is the culmination of more than a decade's work.

Want to slow mental decay? Play a video game

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:29:29 EDT

A new study shows that older people can put off the aging of their minds by playing a simple game that primes their processing speed skills. The research showed participants' cognitive skills improved in a range of functions, from improving peripheral vision to problem solving.

Talking tissue boxes and other smart objects may be welcomed by most people

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:18:18 EDT

Just as people have embraced computers and smart phones, they may also give their blessing to talking tissue boxes and other smart objects, according to researchers.

How Would You Like Your Assistant -- Human or Robotic?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:55:55 EDT

More than half of healthcare providers interviewed for a new study said that if they were offered an assistant, they preferred it to be a robotic helper rather than a human. However, they don’t want robots to help with everything.

'Taxels' convert mechanical motion to electronic signals

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:22:22 EDT

Using bundles of vertical zinc oxide nanowires, researchers have fabricated arrays of piezotronic transistors capable of converting mechanical motion directly into electronic controlling signals. The arrays could help give robots a more adaptive sense of touch, provide better security in handwritten signatures and offer new ways for humans to interact with electronic devices.

Computer game could improve sight of visually impaired children

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:13:13 EDT

Visually impaired children could benefit from a revolutionary new computer game being developed by a team of neuroscientists and game designers.

FlipperBot: Sea turtles and flipper-driven robot reveal principles of moving on sand and other granular media

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:17:17 EDT

Based on a study of both hatchling sea turtles and "FlipperBot" -- a robot with flippers -- researchers have learned principles for how both robots and turtles move on granular surfaces such as sand.

Virtual, squishy creatures evolve to run using evolutionary algorithms

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:58:58 EDT

Scientists have created a computer algorithm that can be used to witness virtual creatures evolving their squishy, muscle-like features in order to teach themselves to walk.

Humans feel empathy for robots: fMRI scans show similar brain function when robots are treated the same as humans

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:11:11 EDT

How do we really feel about non-sentient objects on a human level? A recent study found that humans have similar brain function when shown images of affection and violence being inflicted on robots and humans.

Lazy eye disorder treated with video game Tetris

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:29:29 EDT

Scientists have used the popular puzzle video game Tetris in an innovative approach to treat adult amblyopia, commonly known as "lazy eye." By distributing information between the two eyes in a complementary fashion, the video game trains both eyes to work together, which is counter to previous treatments for the disorder (e.g., patching).

Robot hands gain a gentler touch: Tactile sensing technology builds on tiny barometer chips

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:42:42 EDT

What use is a hand without nerves, that can't tell what it's holding? A hand that lifts a can of soda to your lips, but inadvertently tips or crushes it in the process? Scientists have now developed a very inexpensive tactile sensor for robotic hands that is sensitive enough to turn a brute machine into a dextrous manipulator.

'Big data’ algorithm used to customize video game difficulty

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:42:42 EDT

Researchers have developed a computational model that can predict video game players’ in-game performance and provide a corresponding challenge they can beat, leading to quicker mastery of new skills. The advance not only could help improve user experiences with video games but also applications beyond the gaming world.

Helpful for robotics: Brain uses old information for new movements

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:46:46 EDT

Information from the senses has an important influence on how we move. For instance, you can see and feel when a mug is filled with hot coffee, and you lift it in a different way than if the mug were empty. Neuroscientists have discovered that the brain uses two forms of old information in order to execute new movements well. This discovery can be useful for the field of robotics.

Frog-like robot will help surgeons

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:47:47 EDT

Researchers are using the feet of tree frogs as a model for a tiny robot designed to crawl inside patients' bodies during keyhole surgery.

A new twist for quantum systems

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:18:18 EDT

Physicists have developed a method for precisely controlling quantum systems by exploiting a trick that helps cats to land on their feet and motorists to fit their cars into parking spots. In the longer run, the method could lead to the development of more reliable quantum computers.

Computer scientists develop video game that teaches how to program in Java

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:26:26 EDT

Computer scientists have developed an immersive, first-person player video game designed to teach students in elementary to high school how to program in Java, one of the most common programming languages in use today. The researchers tested the game on a group of girls who had never been exposed to programming before.

Technique finds software bugs in surgical robots and helps developers fix flaws, ensure safety

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:33:33 EDT

Surgical robots could make some types of surgery safer and more effective, but proving that the software controlling these machines works as intended is problematic. Researchers have demonstrated that methods for reliably detecting software bugs and ultimately verifying software safety can be applied successfully to this breed of robot.

Robotic ants successfully mimic real colony behavior

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 09:06:06 EDT

Scientists have successfully replicated the behavior of a colony of ants on the move with the use of miniature robots.

Swarming robots could be the servants of the future

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:53:53 EDT

Swarms of robots acting together to carry out jobs could provide new opportunities for humans to harness the power of machines.

Robot-delivered speech and physical therapy a success

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:26:26 EDT

In one of the earliest experiments using a humanoid robot to deliver speech and physical therapy to a stroke patient, researchers saw notable speech and physical therapy gains and significant improvement in quality of life.

Humanoid robot helps teach children with autism

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:52:52 EDT

An interdisciplinary team of mechanical engineers and autism experts have developed an adaptive robotic system and used it to demonstrate that humanoid robots can be powerful tools for enhancing the basic social learning skills of children with autism.

From complex living systems to smarter computers

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:20:20 EDT

Compared to human-made technology, living organisms have an enviable ability to adjust to new situations, make complex decisions, and even to heal themselves when damaged. By contrast, technological systems struggle to cope with the unexpected. An important example of such clever biology is multicellular organization. The millions of cells, which make up an early embryo, can communicate only with their neighbors, and yet they are each capable of making the right decisions so that together they collaborate to build organs and whole bodies. Understanding how they achieve this will not only benefit biomedical research, but could also help us to build more intelligent technology.

Face of the future rears its head: Digital talking head expresses human emotions on demand

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:00:00 EDT

Meet Zoe: a digital talking head which can express human emotions on demand with "unprecedented realism" and could herald a new era of human-computer interaction.

Predictive Analysis: New generation of computational intelligence systems

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:55:55 EDT

Large parts of our lives are now being monitored and analysed by computers. Log on to Amazon and intelligent data analysis software can recommend a selection of books you might like to read. Far from being a sinister intrusion into people's privacy, the purpose of these systems is to improve our lives, experts say.

Cloud-computing platform for robots launched

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:11:11 EDT

Researchers have developed a cloud-computing platform for robots. The platform allows robots connected to the Internet to directly access the powerful computational, storage, and communications infrastructure of modern data centers - the giant server farms behind the likes of Google, Facebook, and Amazon - for robotics tasks and robot learning.

Spot the difference -- oranges and lemons

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 11:06:06 EST

A computer recognition system that is 99-percent accurate can identify different fruits and vegetables, even the particular strain of apples or plums, for instance. New research explains how challenging this issue has been until now and shows how it could be used in agricultural science and perhaps to improve efficiency in the growing and food industries as well as at the supermarket.

Robotic fish gain new sense: Navigate water currents and turbulence

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:42:42 EST

Scientists have developed robots with a new sense -- lateral line sensing. All fish have this sensing organ but so far it had no technological counterpart on human-made underwater vehicles.

Creating your own animated 3-D characters and scenes for the web

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:03:03 EST

To show spatial animations on websites, developers so far have had only two options: to use special software or to implement it from scratch. Computer scientists have developed a declarative markup language which facilitates the creation of distinct spatial animations and ensures their smooth replay in the web browser.

Researchers test holographic technique for restoring vision

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:42:42 EST

Researchers are testing the power of holography to artificially stimulate cells in the eye, with hopes of developing a new strategy for bionic vision restoration. Computer-generated holography, they say, could be used in conjunction with a technique called optogenetics, which uses gene therapy to deliver light-sensitive proteins to damaged retinal nerve cells. In conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), these light-sensing cells degenerate and lead to blindness.

With robots, humans face 'new society'

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:30:30 EST

Humanity came one step closer in January to being able to replicate itself, thanks to the EU's approval of funding for the Human Brain Project. Danica Kragic, a robotics researcher and computer science professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, says that while the prospect of living among humanoid robots calls to mind terrifying scenarios from science fiction, the reality of how humans cope with advances in robotics will be more complex, and subtle.

Insects inspiring new technology: Autonomous navigation of mobile robots based on locust vision

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:46:46 EST

The way in which the locust's distinctive visual system could be transferred into technology for state of the art vehicle collision sensors, surveillance technology and video games has been detailed as part of robotics research.

'Simplified' brain lets the iCub robot learn language

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:26:26 EST

The iCub humanoid robot will now be able to understand what is being said to it and even anticipate the end of a sentence.

Robots with lift: Researchers use combustible gases to power leaping machines

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:24:24 EST

Using small explosions produced by a mix of methane and oxygen, researchers have designed a soft robot that can leap as much as a foot in the air. That ability to jump could one day prove critical in allowing the robots to avoid obstacles during search and rescue operations following a disaster.

Humans and robots work better together following cross-training; Swapping of roles improves efficiency

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 10:45:45 EST

Spending a day in someone else's shoes can help us to learn what makes them tick. Now the same approach is being used to develop a better understanding between humans and robots, to enable them to work together as a team.

Insect drives robot to track down smells

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:01:01 EST

A small, two-wheeled robot has been driven by a male silkmoth to track down the sex pheromone usually given off by a female mate. The robot has been used to characterize the silkmoth’s tracking behaviors and it is hoped that these can be applied to other autonomous robots so they can track down smells, and the subsequent sources, of environmental spills and leaks when fitted with highly sensitive sensors.

System uses video surveillance cameras to alert security agents of dangerous situations

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:59:59 EST

Researchers in Spain have developed an intelligent system that analyzes video surveillance camera images in real time, detects anomalous situations and alerts the nearest security agents in urgent situations, such as the presence of a vehicle moving in the wrong direction.

The ecological badminton robot: Optimizing energy efficiency in machine design

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:27:27 EST

A robot to play with! A childhood's dream has now come true for researchers in Belgium. Wim Symens and his team pioneered the development of the first robot ever to play badminton. But this robot is only a guinea pig to test a software application designed to optimize energy efficiency in machine design.

Engineers solve a biological mystery and boost artificial intelligence

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:23:23 EST

By simulating 25,000 generations of evolution within computers, engineering and robotics researchers have discovered why biological networks tend to be organized as modules -- a finding that will lead to a deeper understanding of the evolution of complexity. The new insight also will help evolve artificial intelligence, so robot brains can acquire the grace and cunning of animals.

Lane-swapping helps autonomous vehicles avoid collisions

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:15:15 EST

Autonomous, driverless vehicles look set to hit the streets in the near future and become increasingly common, so UK researchers have investigated algorithms that could help developers include escape maneuvers to allow such vehicles to quickly and safely switch lanes to avoid collisions with other road users.

Machine perception lab shows robotic one year old on video

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:56:56 EST

The world is getting a long-awaited first glimpse at a new humanoid robot in action mimicking the expressions of a one-year-old child. The robot will be used in studies on sensory-motor and social development – how babies “learn” to control their bodies and to interact with other people.

Virtual reality and robotics in neurosurgery: Promise and challenges

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:37:37 EST

Robotic technologies have the potential to help neurosurgeons perform precise, technically demanding operations, together with virtual reality environments to help them navigate through the brain, according to researchers.

'Liquid that thinks:' Swarm of ping-pong-ball-sized robots created

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 14:30:30 EST

If one robot can accomplish a singular task, think how much more could be accomplished if you had hundreds of them. A research team has developed a basic robotic building block, which they hope to reproduce in large quantities to develop increasingly complex systems. Recently the team created a swarm of 20 robots, each the size of a ping-pong ball, which they call "droplets." When the droplets swarm together, they form a "liquid that thinks."

Video-game users: Who are sports gamers?

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 13:27:27 EST

From Gran Turismo to WWE Smackdown, sports-based video games represent a wide variety of pursuits. When it comes to the people who actually play those games, however, little is known. How do sports video game players fit their games into a larger sports-related context? How does their video game play inform their media usage and general sports fandom?

Head-mounted cameras could help robots understand social interactions

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 11:18:18 EST

What is everyone looking at? It's a common question in social settings because the answer identifies something of interest, or helps delineate social groupings. Those insights someday will be essential for robots designed to interact with humans, so researchers have developed a method for detecting where people's gazes intersect. The researchers tested the method using groups of people with head-mounted video cameras.

Micro sensors help underwater robots swim like fish

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:26:26 EST

Scientists have invented a 'sense-ational' device, similar to a string of 'feelers' found on the bodies of the Blind Cave Fish, which enables the fish to sense their surrounding and so navigate easily.

Automation systems become flexible when robots make their own decisions

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:38:38 EST

Researchers in Sweden have created an automation system where machines and robots make their own decisions and adapt to external circumstances. They continue to work even when something goes wrong. You can reprogram them every day and easily vary equipment and manufactured products.

Smartphones might soon develop emotional intelligence: Algorithm for speech-based emotion classification developed

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 08:13:13 EST

If you think having your phone identify the nearest bus stop is cool, wait until it identifies your mood. Engineers may soon make that possible. Researchers have developed a new computer program that gauges human feelings through speech, with substantially greater accuracy than existing approaches.

Squirrels and birds inspire researchers to create deceptive robots

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 12:52:52 EST

Using deceptive behavioral patterns of squirrels and birds, researchers have developed robots that are able to deceive each other. The applications could be implemented by the military in the future.

Robotic equivalent of a Swiss army knife: Reconfigurable robot a step toward something that can become almost anything

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:27:27 EST

The device doesn't look like much: a caterpillar-sized assembly of metal rings and strips resembling something you might find buried in a home-workshop drawer. But the technology behind it, and the long-range possibilities it represents, are quite remarkable.

Whirligig beetles inspire energy-efficient robots

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:39:39 EST

While many may have found the movements of whirligig beetles curious, scientists have puzzled over the apparatus behind their energy efficiency -- until now, thanks to a new study.

Computer mediation can help combat bullying in schools

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:23:23 EST

Research has demonstrated how computer mediation could help combat bullying in schools.

Bioinspired robot meets fish: Robotic fish research swims into new ethorobotics waters

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:20:20 EST

New research is illuminating the emerging field of ethorobotics -- the study of bioinspired robots interacting with animal counterparts. They studied how real-time feedback attracted or repelled live zebrafish. The fish were more attracted to robots with tail motions that mimicked the live fish. The researchers hope that robots eventually may steer live animal or marine groups from danger.

Using skills gleaned from video games, high school and college students outmatch medical residents in surgical simulations

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:16:16 EST

What can high school and college-age video game enthusiasts teach young surgeons-in-training? According to a new study the superior hand-eye coordination and hand skills gained from hours of repetitive joystick maneuvers mimic the abilities needed to perform today's most technologically advanced robotic surgeries.

These mini-bots were made for walking: Cells power biological machines

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:37:37 EST

They're soft, biocompatible, about 7 millimeters long -- and, incredibly, able to walk by themselves. Miniature "bio-bots" are making tracks in synthetic biology. The walking bio-bots demonstrate forward-engineering functional machines using only hydrogel, heart cells and a 3-D printer. The bio-bots could be customized for specific applications in medicine, energy or the environment.

Experimental interplanetary Internet used to test robot from International Space Station

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 15:18:18 EST

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) successfully have used an experimental version of interplanetary Internet to control an educational rover from the International Space Station. The experiment used NASA's Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) protocol to transmit messages and demonstrate technology that one day may enable Internet-like communications with space vehicles and support habitats or infrastructure on another planet.