Robotic System Can Design, Make Other Robots

LONDON (Reuters) - Cheaply-produced robots that can perform mundane chores may be a step closer thanks to American scientists who have made a robotic system that can for the first time design and construct other robots.

The system operates with almost no human intervention.

``The robotic system is creating little toy robots completely automatically. All the humans are doing is snapping in the motors,'' explained Jordan Pollack, a computer science professor at Brandeis University in Massachusetts.

The tiny plastic prototype robots look like toys but they could represent the future of affordable robotics.

``This is, I think, a harbinger of a new industry where dumb robots for specific tasks like vacuuming or clean-up or assembly can be automatically designed and manufactured without human engineers and high-cost machining,'' Pollack said in a telephone interview.

The research is reported in the science journal Nature. Hod Lipson, a mechanical engineer who worked with Pollack on the project, described it as ``nearly a self-replicating artificial life system.''

-- John Connor (T1000@coming.soon), September 04, 2000

Answers

Can I get one that will vacuum the floors?

-- (sis@home.zzz), September 07, 2000.

I think they have that now. I know they have a robot that will mow your lawn, and it goes into it's own little recharger when it's done. It's COOOOL! Must get one.

There's also a robot dog, Japanese toy, that will PEE on your carpet, does THAT help?

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), September 14, 2000.

Not that I'd want a robo-dog... but what do they pee? Oil?

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), September 19, 2000.