What is Artificial Intelligence?

A mind controlled spy robot is rather expensive. If you don't have enough funds to support your enthusiasm, why not build one for yourself?

Yes, you can do it yourself! Let us take for example one engineer who wanted to build one for himself with just a few of the essential elements for the development; hardware, some software and brains to make it work.

Robert Oschler is just one of the robot fans who wanted to create his own version of ROVIO, a mind controlled Robodance. However this time he wanted to control it with his mind using the EPOC EEG Headset.

Remember the EPOC EEG headset which we also featured in this blog sometime in January of this year? Well, if you were able to get one, you will be able to use it to control your own spy robot.

How does it works?

1) He created a connection between the EPOC headset and the Robodance with his own set Emotiv Systems software developer’s kit (SDK).

2) The EPOC headset communicates with the Roboclient, a software program, which translates signals and sends them via Skype to another client computer.

3) The other computer interprets the date from Skype, and sends it to the Robodance software

4) Then, Robodance take these signals as robot commands, which are then communicated via WiFi to the Rovio

Just watch the video below and you'll see how cool it is.

Click here to read more about ROVIO, Mind Controlled Spy Robot

Our brain is made up of neural circuits continuously evolving to solve complex day to day problems. While there are robots controlled with "organic brains" like the wheeled Robot with a Rat Brain of the University of Reading, for robots to move autonomously with an "evolving brain circuit" is far from reality.

Before, scientists and engineers alike would rely on sophisticated microprocessors and sensors to control the routines and functions of robots.

But just recently, researchers from Japan and Michigan have come up with the world's first brain-like "evolutionary circuit" that works just like the human brain (we hope so).

Being immensely analogous, this computer circuit allows immediate changes of ~300 bits unlike the world's fastest supercomputers which can only process bits one at a time in each of their networks.

The authors, Anirban Bandyopadhyay, from the National Institute for Materials Science, National Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Japan and Ranjit Pati, of the Michigan Technological University Department of Physics, described their work as phenomenal, being able to solve problems instantaneously without knowing which specific algorithms are at work.

Click here to read more about Brain-like Evolutionary Circuit, Organic Molecular Layer

According to the Nikkei, Japan plans to develop "mind-reading" robots and consumer electronics that can be controlled by thought alone and hopes to market them within a decade.

Reports say that this project is a partnership between the government and the private sector.

Using sensor-mounted headsets, these devices would use brain-machine interface technology, which analyses users' brain waves and brain blood-flow patterns detected. Applications of these devices would include television sets that can be operated without lifting a finger and mobile phones that send text messages composed purely through thought.

They are also planning on making a car navigation system that searches for restaurants when the driver thinks of having a meal, and air-conditioners that adjust the temperature when people in the room feel too warm or cold.

Click here to read more about Mind-Reading Robots and Brain Interface Devices.

The world-renowned Honda Humanoid Robot has evolved into a desktop program assistant, ASIMO will be on your desktop for free! The ASIMO DESKTOP WIDGET brings the real humaoid ASIMO right onto your screen. The robot ASIMO does not only walk and run around your screen, but presents the latest news headlines from Honda, provides an easy memo function, and more. Although some functions need internet connection to work. The ASIMO Desktop Widget Features:

• walks to and fro and runs around your computer screen, and does many unique actions.
• RSS News Display - whenever available, ASIMO shows the latest Honda news all its Worldwide site.
• Menu - the main ASIMO Menu allows you to have access to the available functions below:
• - News: The latest news from the Honda Worldwide site
• - Search: Google search window
• - Memo Pad: A simple memo pad
• - Widget Settings: Balloon style, sound and automatic start settings
• - Quit: Quits the ASIMO DESKTOP WIDGET
• - Honda Logo: Opens your browser to the Honda Worldwide site

You can drag and drop the Menu window anywhere you want to place it on the screen. Click here to download the ASIMO DESKTOP WIDGET. Click here to read more about ASIMO Desktop Widget, Asimo Desktop Companion

MIT scientists have proven in their recent study that a person's moral judgments can be altered by disrupting or disturbing the current activity of the brain region, TPJ.

This study is a follow-up of the previous study of the right TPJ, a region of the brain actively involved in making moral decisions or judgments. TPJ, acronym for temporo-parietal junction is observed to be very active when we think of something to other people.

In this study, led by Rebecca Saxe, MIT assistant professor of brain and cognitive sciences, the right TPJ's activity is disrupted by inducing a current in the brain with a magnetic field applied on the surface of the scalp. After this test, it was observed that "subjects' ability to make moral judgments that require an understanding of other people's intentions -- for example, a failed murder attempt -- was impaired", reported Saxe in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

How was this accomplished? The scientists used a non-invasive strategy known as trans-cranial magnetic stimulation or (TMS) to selectively interfere or disrupt with brain activity in the right TPJ. A magnetic field applied to a portion of the skull generates weak electric currents that causes brain cells' within the area to fire normally, however the effect is only short-lived.

Click here to read more about Altering Moral Judgments with Trans-Cranial Magnetic Stimulation, MIT Brain Science Project