- Image via Wikipedia
People who are not necessarily “techno-geeks” may still hold an interest in advanced topics like artificial intelligence simply because they are so fascinating. For those of us who don’t understand the science behind the art, there are still factoids and objects to enjoy in the field, which make us all feel united in human advancements. Here is the list of the coolest A.I. developments for the general public within the last year:
1. In Japan in December of 2010, a new teacher appeared in over 100 schools. This teacher was computer operated and remotely accessed by native English speaking instructors who were located in Australia. This beta launch tested the ability of A.I. in a classroom setting and found that students loved the A.I. Australian educator more than a real person, and responded to it just as appropriately.
2. The Robotic Lady Bug is a cleaning machine, literally! She rolls through bathrooms in Japan at waist-height, sweeping, mopping, and simultaneously drying floors for busy patrons. If a person feels inclined, he or she can report cleanliness discrepancies, which will be reported electronically to an actual janitor.
3. Horrifying and awe-inspiring, Twendy-One (also from Japan) is a life-size A.I. robot on wheels which can interact smartly and efficiently with humans. Although it is freakish and frightening that Twendy is self-healing, we can rest at ease knowing this future dominator of Earth has a battery life of just 15 minutes.
For more cool and somewhat disturbing glimpses into the future, visit this link. As the link explains, high-tech robotic arms are available on eBay from NASA for those who need an extra…hand. At just $25,000, who doesn’t need an Omni-Hand to help-out with kitchen work.
Even more terrifying from the list, a car driven by a rat. For those who thought the “walking,” talking robot was intimidating enough, clearly they hadn’t considered a rat with more than one ton of power.
