Robots - Royal Institution
Have a look to this web site !
Video (RealPlayer): http://www.channel4.com/
[...]
Anatomy of an Android investigates the way robots have been developed to assist humans. But as the level of sophistication of these robots rockets ahead are we humans being left behind? The machines we have designed and built are taking on more and more tasks for themselves. If we have designed robots to be better, faster and stronger than us, who will be best suited to thrive in the technological world of the future? The adventure begins with perhaps the most famous robots of all - Androids - machines built in the image of the human body. If such machines have a number of physical advantages over humans, and can think for themselves, what does this mean for the future of the human race?
[...]
Humans dominate this planet because of their intelligence but what do we mean when we say 'human intelligence'? The first step is for robots to be able to experience the world around them. Things that Think explores what it must be like for a robot to 'see' its surroundings using ultrasonic sensors - but it doesn't stop there - other sensors can be used to equip robots so that they can cope with environments which we can't even see. But being able to see is not enough. Robots need to be able to react both with their environment and with us, on a human level, and to do so, they need to be given an artificial form of our own intelligence. This lecture shows how the science of cybernetics is using artificial intelligence to bring robots to life.
[...]
