The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
Things that Think
2000 • E2 Dec 27, 2000 50m
Humans dominate this planet because of their intelligence but what do we mean when we say 'human intelligence'? The first step is for robots to be able to experience the world around them. Things that Think explores what it must be like for a robot to 'see' its surroundings using ultrasonic sensors - but it doesn't stop there - other sensors can be used to equip robots so that they can cope with environments which we can't even see. But being able to see is not enough. Robots need to be able to react both with their environment and with us, on a human level, and to do so, they need to be given an artificial form of our own intelligence. This lecture shows how the science of cybernetics is using artificial intelligence to bring robots to life.