Artificial Intelligence

Stories

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July 2008
- Thinking 'Bots May Probe Planets for Us
  
  newser | Space.com | Jul 6, 08 6:10 PM CDT
  
  WALL-E they aren't, but future space robots may decide how and where we explore other planets, Space.com reports. Using what expert Wolfgang Fink calls “tier-scalable reconnaissance,” orbiting spacecrafts could choose where to deploy airships that drop rovers on planet surfaces. NASA and Europe may test the software on a planned 2017 mission to Titan and Europa. More »
June 2008
- Google's Data Avalanche Trumps Scientific Method
  
  newser | Wired | Jun 24, 08 6:38 PM CDT
  
  The data avalanche Google made possible has buried the scientific method, Chris Anderson argues in Wired , begging the question, “What can science learn from Google?” We’re in the “Petabyte Age,” he argues, when massive amounts of data obviate need for models and theories—the imperfect, if useful, imaginings of data-starved scientists. The petabyte revolution that lets Google conquer advertising is transforming science, he says. More »
- Home Is Where the Robot Is
  
  newser | Economist | Jun 21, 08 5:01 AM CDT
  
  A kinder, gentler, smarter Frankenstein may soon be mowing your lawn and folding your unmentionables. Manufacturers are developing a new generation of metallic humanoid that will not only carry heavy objects, but pull their weight around the house and at work, the Economist reports . These new-age robots can touch, see, and may even respond to commands. More »
- Japan Unveils Robot Girlfriend
  
  newser | Reuters | Jun 20, 08 1:53 PM CDT
  
  If you’re looking for love and the electronic variety is good enough, a Japanese company may have just the thing for you. Sega unveiled “EMA” today (that’s Eternal Maiden Actualization), a 15-inch robotic girlfriend that can find and kiss human faces on command, Reuters reports. The company hopes to sell 10,000—mainly to lonely adult men—in the first year; the retail price is $175. More »
- Get Ready for Some Hot Robot Lovin'
  
  newser | Agence France Presse | Jun 15, 08 5:10 PM CDT
  
  Human-robot love is no longer the stuff of science fiction, AFP reports. At least one researcher predicts that 40 years from now, robots will tell you stories, make you laugh, and swear that they love you. As for sex, robots will be capable of it in 5 years: It's "a sort of an upgrade of the sex dolls on sale now," one expert said. More »
- Smart Software Programs Write Your To-Do Lists
  
  newser | MIT Technology Review | Jun 12, 08 3:58 PM CDT
  
  Busy? A new kind of online organizer works like a personal assistant, interpreting loose statements—like “have brunch with Margaret on Sunday"—and turning them into scheduled events on users’ calendars. Free programs like Presdo, IWantSandy and reQall use natural language processing to organize casually written, and sometimes even spoken, commands, reports Technology Review . More »
- Phone Data Used to Map Human Activity
  
  newser | BBC | Jun 4, 08 3:41 PM CDT
  
  Researchers using mobile-phone data to study patterns of human movement find that we're quite creatures of habit, the BBC reports. The 100,000 randomly selected subjects—outside the US, where such tracking would be illegal, the AP notes—remained mostly in the same small area, traveling less than 6½ miles daily, with few going more than 50 miles on a regular basis. More »
May 2008
- Your Pal in Second Life May Be a Robot
  
  newser | Associated Press | May 18, 08 7:25 PM CDT
  
  Scientists are creating virtual robots in a virtual world with the hope of simulating real people. Got it? Second Life is prime testing ground for artificial intelligence because it allows experts to exert more control over their creations. “It’s a very inexpensive way to test out our technologies right now,” one says. More »
March 2008
- Tech Toy Splurges for That Tax Return
  
  newser | ComputerWorld | Mar 30, 08 8:33 PM CDT
  
  This year, the government’s economic stimulus package will add $600 to the average $2,300 refund each taxpayer receives. That’s a sizable chunk of change, perfect for a little tech-toy indulgence, reports ComputerWorld. Casio Exilim Pro Ex-FI high-speed digital camera: Snag 60 frames in a single second, to score a shot in which everyone’s eyes are open. More »
- Miami Hopes to Patrol Streets With Flying Spy Drones
  
  newser | Reuters | Mar 26, 08 11:44 AM CDT
  
  A flying spy drone may soon join the ranks of Miami's finest, pending FAA approval of the 14-pound bot. "Our intentions are to use it only in tactical situations as an extra set of eyes," says a department spokesman. The US military has been using spy drones for years, reports Reuters, and police departments around the country are interested in pressing them into service. More »
- Robot Dogs Cheer Up Elderly
  
  newser | Associated Press | Mar 1, 08 8:02 AM CST
  
  Robot dogs are almost as effective as the real thing in cheering up elderly nursing home residents, a new study at St. Louis University has found. Once the patients had some time to get used to him, researchers say robot mutt AIBO lowered loneliness levels about as well as a lovable therapy dog named Sparky did in a control group, the AP reports. More »
February 2008
- Terrifying Robot Is Ready to Massage Breasts
  
  newser | Gizmodo | Feb 25, 08 3:08 PM CST
  
  The developer of a new robot designed to massage women's breasts is full of ideas for the gadget, reports the Gizmodo blog. Wang Wei of Beijing BUBBY Robot Technologies suggests numerous potential customers for the Breast Massage Robot, including "girls who are reaching or having reached puberty, hope to improve the growth of breast," and "women, who are under pressure, want to relax themselves." More »
- Want to Vote, O'Connor? Think Again
  
  newser | Associated Press | Feb 22, 08 4:00 PM CST
  
  The Information Age has been bad news for O'Connors, D'Angelos, Al-Husseins, and Van Kemps everywhere. Apostrophes in Irish, French, Italian, and African last names; hyphens in Arab names; and spaces in Dutch ones cause their owners endless headaches when computer systems reject or mis-record them, reports the AP, blocking them from voting, booking flights, and taking college exams. More »
- Digital Tutors May Edge Out Real Thing
  
  newser | LiveScience | Feb 22, 08 3:33 AM CST
  
  The best education available these days may be a virtual one, scientists are finding. Today´s digital educators can teach anything from social to language skills—and don't get tired, bored or irritable, LiveScience reports. The programs are a perfect match for autistic kids, who often find face-to-face interactions overwhelming. More »
- A.I. Will Match Human Brain in 20 Years
  
  newser | BBC | Feb 16, 08 6:54 PM CST
  
  One engineer and futurist says it’s only a matter of time before machines are as smart as people, and people are part machine, the BBC reports. Ray Kurzweil claims that artificial intelligence will produce human-level smarts and even emotions by 2029. Humans, meanwhile, will inject nanobots into their brains to improve intelligence. More »
January 2008
- Bionic Vision Pioneers Unveil New Lenses
  
  newser | LiveScience | Jan 20, 08 4:46 PM CST
  
  Bionic vision may cost less than $6 million after all: Scientists unveiled a new electronic contact lens this week that is already sparking ideas for future technology. Endowed with a circuit and lights, the gadget isn't ready yet, but makers say it is built with safe, organic materials. It even boasts an electronic circuit a few nanometers wide—about 80,000 thinner than a human hair. More »
- 10 Life-Changing Innovations
  
  newser | LiveScience | Jan 20, 08 12:33 PM CST
  
  From omnipresent Internet to cloned donor organs, LiveScience picks 10 new technologies that, when fully developed, will transform our lives. Digital libraries: When all of humanity's texts are digitized, any factual question will be answerable online. Gene therapy/stem cells: The key to curing some of our nastiest afflictions. Ubiquitous wireless Internet: WiMAX and 3G point the way to a future where communication between any two devices is possible. Mobile robots: Too lazy to go to the store? Just send your car! More »
- 'Fuzzy Logic' Could Help Create Better Elder Care
  
  newser | CNET | Jan 4, 08 7:58 PM CST
  
  Researchers in the UK and US are collaborating to develop “fuzzy logic” technology to improve care for the elderly. The 6-month project aims to create more discerning medical and accident monitors that can distinguish between, for example, a slamming door and a person falling, CNET reports. So-called fuzzy logic lets computer applications make decisions based on vague data. More »
December 2007
- Software Wrapper For Smarter, Networked Homes
  
  Science Daily | Dec 22, 07
  
  Homes today are filled with increasing numbers of high-tech gadgets, from smart phones and PCs to state-of-the-art TV and audio systems, many of them with built-in networking capabilities. Combined, these devices could form the building blocks of the smart homes of the future, but only if they can be made to work together intelligently.
- Biometrics: Unlocking Doors With Your Eyes
  
  Science Daily | Dec 14, 07
  
  It is not science fiction to think that our eyes could very soon be the key to unlocking our homes, accessing our bank accounts and logging on to our computers, according to Queensland University of Technology researcher Sammy Phang.