Robot acts like a toddler

I'm back! I'm getting over bronchitis, so please forgive the long delay. Things are also a bit slower at work so I'm getting back on track.

Somehow this article seems to be full of things that make no sense. They built a robot to figure out a toddler's development system. A robot was created to simulate actual life; to better understand a living, breathing, constantly changing human child. Maybe it's just my lack of understanding in the field of robotics, but that just seems silly.

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Story Highlights
• Japanese scientists develop humanoid toddler
• Robot wobbles like a child who is learning how to walk
• It changes facial expressions and can rock back and forth
• Scientists want to better understand child development

OSAKA, Japan (AP) -- A group of scientists in Japan have developed a robot that acts like a toddler to better understand child development.

The Child-Robot with Biomimetic Body, or CB2, was developed by a team of researchers at Osaka University in western Japan and is designed to move just like a real child between 1 and 3 years old.

CB2, at just over 4 feet tall and weighing 73 pounds, changes facial expressions and can rock back and forth.

The robot's movements are smooth as it is fitted with 56 actuators in lieu of muscle. It has 197 sensors for touch, small cameras working as eyes, and an audio sensor. CB2 can also speak using an artificial vocal cord.

When it stands on its feet, the robot wobbles like a child who is learning how to walk.

Minoru Asada, a professor at Osaka University who leads the project, said Friday the robot was developed to learn more about child development.

"Our goal is to study human recognition development such as how the child learns a language, recognizes objects and learns to communicate with his father and mother," he said.


Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/06/08/toddler.robot.ap/index.html