1st Robot Artificial Brain Built

Scientists in Spain have achieved a giant leap for robotkind by building the first artificial cerebellum to help them interact with humans. The cerebellum is the portion of the brain that controls motor functions.

The four-year project, dubbed Sensopac (SENSOrimotor structuring of perception and action for emerging cognition) is funded by the EU under its Sixth Framework Program and brings together physicists, neuroscientists, and electronic engineers from leading universities in Europe.

The next phase of the project will be to implant the man-made cerebellum into a robot designed by the German Aerospace Center in two year's time.The researchers hope that their work will also result in new directions on how to treat cognitive diseases such as Parkinson's.

One of the near-term goals for the project will be to develop an artificial skin for the robots, making them look more human-like, as well as making them information-sensitive in the same way as human skin is.
The scientists at the University of Granada are focusing on the design of microchips that incorporate a full neuronal system, emulating the way the cerebellum interacts with the human nervous system.

Implanting the man-made cerebellum in a robot will allow it to manipulate and interact with other objects with far greater effectiveness than previously managed.

"Although robots are increasingly more important to our society and have more advanced technology, they cannot yet do certain tasks like those carried out by mammals," says Professor Eduardo Ros Vidal, who is coordinating the work at the University of Granada. 'We have been talking about humanoids for years but we do not yet see them on the street or use the unlimited possibilities they offer us."

Posted by Casey Kazan.

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Scientists Create Artificial Brain

Story Links:

http://www.sensopac.org/index.php?id=27
http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&RCN=28240

Comments

[Daniel Appleton]

Amazing ! & the fact that these developments could also help humans was addressed in the movie " The Bicentennial Man " with Robin Williams.

If this continues, we may have to redefine the boundary lines between human & non - human, living & non - living.

Already, one can download & purchase " virtual people " /
" friends / companions " that can learn, grow & mimic ( ? ) human behaviour to varying degrees on one's own hard drive, & " bots " are becoming commonplace on line.The 1st alien life forms may be ones designed by human minds & built by humans & later, assembly line robots.

Whether they might earn or develop " souls ", I leave for other minds better equipped than mine to ponder.....