Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2006/12/23/the_odd_body_robots/

Will robots ever become just like humans?

Not-so-artificial intelligence

By Dr Stephen Juan

Posted in Science, 23rd December 2006 11:02 GMT

Also in this week's column:

Will robots ever become just like humans?

Asked by Chuck Schroeter of Seattle, Washington, USA

We are getting very close to building an almost human-like robot. However, we will never be able to build a completely human-like robot since robots will never be able to biologically reproduce.

Other than this, theoretically, robots could look, act, think, and feel like humans in every way. There are only technical problems that need to be overcome in achieving this. Such technical problems are being overcome one by one.

The development of humanoid robots today focuses on three major areas:

  1. control of manipulators (what it can do)
  2. biped locomotion (how it can walk)
  3. interaction with humans.

Here are some recent developments:

Stephen Juan, Ph.D. is an anthropologist at the University of Sydney. Email your Odd Body questions to s.juan@edfac.usyd.edu.au