While I was watching the video demonstrations of ASIMO, I have this nagging suspicion that the robot would lift its helmet/headgear to reveal the face of a man. After all, it did walk like a man. [click to read more]

ASIMO according to its Honda manufacturer, can run, walk, use the stairs, recognise faces and even communicate. On running for example, it could achieve a speed of 6 km/h and even do it in a circular pattern. Its face recognition software also allows it to 'respond with a unique greeting for that person' (if it matches a face in his database). Check out the videos on the official website to see how 'creepy'/ 'intelligent' it is.

Another robot that is currently in the works is the iCub (which reminds me of a baby bear) that is a collaboration project initially amongst 11 European Universities with funding from the EU. This robot, after three years of hard work, is now able to move, see and touch. More importantly, the researchers claim it is able to learn like a child and progress thereafter.

If these robots become more 'intelligent' which appears to be a distinct possibility, they would prove sceptics of strong artificial intelligence wrong. This means intelligence, as we know it, is not merely restricted to humans alone. More importantly, this would spark off the countless and creative applications of these advanced robotic technologies that could be employed in different sectors. According to one of the professors who is studying the iCub, the robot  may become an experimental tool for neuroscientists and psychologists.