Using 3-D printers to print out self-learning robots

On the third floor of the Department of Informatics in a university in Norway a there is a robotics laboratory which looks like a playroom. This is where researchers are testing how their robots can figure out how to move past barriers and other obstacles. The robotics team are currently comparing the performance of five robots which in theory should be equally good. Three of the five robots have four legs, one has three, another has six. The fewer legs, the less energy is consumed. One of the robots is fitted with single-joint legs. The others have legs with two joints. …read more