A humanoid robot about the size of a three-year-old child is learning to think for itself . It’s part of the RobotCub project that aims to study how humans learn and think by using a robot with the size and brain of a toddler . Called iCub, the robot is designed to learn from experience and adapt to changes in its environment, just like a human child .
Human intelligence develops through interaction with the environment and other human beings , and mental processes are strongly associated with physical body and its actions . The central hypothesis of the project is therefore that the best way to model the human mind is to create a humanoid that is controlled by realistic algorithms and allowed to explore the world like a real child .
The big eyes of iCub robot allow it to see and track objects in its environment . Many electronic circuits build into articulated trunk and limbs give it a wide range of movements . Sensors allow the robot to feel . The iCub was developed at the Italian Institute of Technologies in Genoa , Italy , where the RobotCub project began in 2004 under the leadership of Giulio Sandini .
