What is Artificial Intelligence?

This pair of pants detects movement and let a computer know your every move.

With the huge leaps of advancement our technology has taken, many gadgets have emerged. But our clothing doesn’t want to get left behind. Maybe it is still early for Web-enabled clothes, but we can expect to see everything from our shirt to our underwear networked in the not too distant future.

An example of this kind of clothing is the one the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg has developed. It is a pair of pants "that detect movement and let a computer know your every move." These smart pants work via a loom that helps sew the wires and fabric together. Sensors embedded in the fabric measure the speed, rotation and flexibility of the pants with every movement. Wireless signals are sent from the pants to a computer to display the activity.

The visual artist and performer known as Stelarc with his invention. It is designed to make conversations between humans and machines easier.

Researchers have developed a robot of sorts that is designed to improve communication between humans and machines. The thinking head enables conversations between humans and machines, through visual signals and more effective, tailored communication depending on who it is talking to.

"The idea is to try to create a somewhat intelligent agent. In other words if you were to ask a question it would be able to give you an answer," explained one of the thinking head's creators, Stelarc, a performance artist and also visiting fellow at the MARCS Auditory Laboratory at the University of Western Sydney. ''If it doesn't know the answer, it has a conversational strategy to respond by asking you a question back or even changing the subject.''

The robot will be unveiled at the New Interfaces for Musical Expression conference at UTS in June.

Click here to read more about The Thinking Head.

The Terrafugia Transition roadable aircraft, tested last year, lacks autopilot and off-road features.

DARPA announced that it is inviting proposals to tackle its latest project: "Transformer X (TX), a vertical takeoff and landing roadable air vehicle." The vehicle should have a maximum payload capacity of 1,000 pounds so that it can carry four passengers and their gear. It should also be capable of flying itself automatically, achieving an altitude of 1,000 feet, and traveling 250 miles on a single tank of fuel. And it should be built and ready for testing by 2015.

The closest thing to a flying car that has been built and tested is the Terrafugia Transition. The wings on this “roadable aircraft” can be folded up in 30 seconds with just a press of a button, enabling it to switch from flying to driving on roads. But the proposed TX would have some significant differences. It would be a robust off-road vehicle with road performance similar to an SUV, and that it would have the option to fly on autopilot.

Click here to read more about Transformer X Project, Project TX, Flying Car.

Plantas Nomadas slurping water from the river.

Mexican artist Gilberto Esparza, who specializes in thought-provoking robots and mechanical sculptures, created a "nomadic plant". It is called “Plantas Nomadas”. This nomadic plant is part machine and part living thing that walks around slurping up water from contaminated rivers to keep itself powered and alive.

Here's how it works, according to We Make Money Not Art:

“Vegetation and microorganisms live in symbiosis inside the body of the Nomadic Plants robot. Whenever its bacteria require nourishment, the self-sufficient robot will move towards a contaminated river and 'drink' water from it. Through a process of microbial fuel cell, the elements contained in the water are decomposed and turned into energy that can feed the brain circuits of the robot. The surplus is then used to create life, enabling plants to complete their own life cycle.”

Esparza's robot is more art project than practical fix for polluted rivers, but it does make you think about the possibilities for plantlife and ways we might tune them to thrive in a dirty environment.

Click here to read more about Plantas Nomadas, Cyborg Plant.

Yotaro

The Japanese have just pushed the boundaries of the imagination back a little further in terms of robotics with the creation of a humanoid baby robot called Yotaro. Its purpose is to boost births in Japan.

Created by Tsukuba University’s Uchiyama Lab, the baby’s face is made of translucent silicone with chubby cheeks and blue eyes. This odd baby simulator’s face changes color and lights up according to its mood. The robot uses sensors in its rattle, stomach, and clothing to detect when it is being touched, and can react by wiggling its limbs, smiling, and crying. The baby can also produce tears and can even have a runny nose with its warm water tank.

The researchers hope it can be used to educate potential parents about the joys of raising one.

Click here to read more about Yotaro.