People, from the moment they are born their environment and themselves begins to recognize. In this process we learn that the stove is hot, the ice is cold, that hitting our pinky toe can hurt a lot, that some dishes are delicious and we act accordingly.

Until now, this feature was unique to living things. The robots learned their own existence and functions with the information from outside, i.e. from the developers. A new study seems to have changed that. Columbia Engineering’has developed a robot that can not only sense its environment, but also itself, and even ‘imagine’ itself.

Will robots have dreams too?

A Columbia Engineering study shows that for the first time in history, a robot without human help revealed that a robot has been developed that can fully learn and model its own body. Science Robotics In the article published in the journal Cell, the researchers also explained how the robot managed to do this.

That is why the researchers developed the robotic arm. 360 degrees They started by connecting the robot to five cameras that shoot from all angles. When the robot saw the results of its own engine commands in images from these cameras, it stopped after spending three hours getting to know its movements and itself. According to the study, the robot then used this information to overcome various obstacles, achieve goals or avoid obstacles. He even foresaw potential damage and adapted his strategies accordingly.

The researchers then created the robot themselves. in the neural network He began a difficult process of discovering how he saw. At the end of this process, they found that the robotic arm could model itself in a kind of fog, with a margin of error of 1%. When he had to make a decision, the robot first imagined that he was doing it. When he was able to achieve results in his simulations, he sprang into action.

According to scientists, this work will represent a major breakthrough for self-sufficient robots. So the robots themselves able to solve problems, they will be able to understand themselves and repair their malfunctions or damage.