Robots that Think and Design Themselves?

Posted 20 Aug 2003 at 03:37 UTC by The Swirling Brain

This article from NewsObserver.com talks about robots that design themselves. Researchers from Brandeis University have created the Golem Project, a system where tubelike machines design themselves virtually in software. Then the virtual robots are allowed to try out their designs in the real world for movement and locomotion. They like to call it robotic evolution, however right now it seems to be algorithms for finding out which design works better for locomotion rather than truly mutating the robot into a higher life form. Currently they have to help assemble the robots from the virtual design to the real world, but someday they hope that their robots will be able to do self-directed evolution and build themselves. Once they can build themselves, will we see the first Terminator?

Older Robots.net article.