New research breakthrough could free up space for robots to ‘think’

Mimicking how some parts of the human body work, researchers from King’s College London (KCL) have transmitted a series of commands to devices with a new kind of compact circuit, using variations in pressure from a fluid inside it.

According to the research team, this world first opens the possibility of a new generation of robots, whose bodies could operate independently of their built-in control centre, with this space potentially being used instead for more complex AI powered software.

“Delegating tasks to different parts of the body frees up computational space for robots to ‘think,’ allowing future generations of robots to be more aware of their social context or even more dexterous. This opens the door for a new kind of robotics in places like social care and manufacturing,” Dr Antonio Forte, senior lecturer in Engineering at KCL and senior author of the study, said in a statement.