Markram and his Blue Brain team at the Ecole Poltechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland, have already achieved phase I of their ambitious project, by developing a simulation model of a component of a rat’s brain known as a cortical column, comprised of 10,000 working neurons.

The creation of artificial intelligence may no longer reside only in the realm of science fiction, with the recent announcement from Henry Markram of the IBM Blue Brain project, at the TED Global conference in Oxford, England that he plans to build an electronic model of the human brain within 10 years.

From Chattahbox
More info on the Blue Brain Project

The documentary does a great breakdown on AI robots like ASIMO among others. Its quite thorough. Check it out. It is a must see.

Here is a great review of the documentary for after you see it.

Four key philosophers are interviewed in the documentary, including the IEET’s Nick Bostrom, with the other three being Kevin Warwick, Hugo De Garis, and Anne Foerst. The tone is mostly grim and eerie, but a wide spectrum of topics are discussed, including transhumanism, mind-machine mergers, uploading, and artificial superintelligence.

The University of Reading cybernetics professor had successfully wired the nerves of his forearm to a computer in New York City’s Columbia University and networked them to a robotic system back in his Reading, England, lab. “My body was effectively extended over the Internet,” Warwick says.

He hopes to have a sensor implanted in his brain by 2015 that will allow him to send signals across a computer network. Of course, a Brown University team has already moved the goalposts much closer: In 2006 researchers reported that a 25-year-old quadriplegic man had guided a computer cursor and moved a prosthetic arm via a brain implant. Warwick may have trouble finding a doctor to implant a similar device without a compelling medical reason, points out Charles Higgins, an associate professor of electrical engineering and neurobiology at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Warwick’s experiments haven’t been on a lot of mainstream websites. He probably flies under the radar because he is doing these experiments on himself without grants and such. Very remarkable what he is doing. It is similar to surgeons in one continent doing operations in another. But the level of intricacies with the sense of touch is stellar. I hope more people follow suit – not necessarily in the self experimenting path, but the cybernetic nano technology way. I think cybernetics with nanochips are overall better for humanity than artificial intelligence.

Original article from Scientific America

I saw Kevin Warwick in his documentary that I saw in passing months ago and now, thankfully, I’ve stumbled upon him and it again. He talks in depth about his belief about where cybernetics is going in the future. His documentary “Building Gods” (you MUST see this) he talks about how nanochips will lead the way to improving on human design. I won’t even try to sum it up – you have to see it. Notice how stone-cold serious his demeanor is about this.
Warrick the Cyborg

I’m going to try to find Warwick’s Building Gods documentary and post it. Check back soon.

Cyborg Man – Half man, Half machine – Kevin Warwick

This high speed robotic hand is just plain eerie. I get the feeling I’m looking at T1000’s Hand. Watch the whole video and see how it uses visual sensors to move at high speed. The high speed arm operate with cameras that capture information at 1000 frames per second and high powered motors make the robotic hand move at high speed.  See it for yourself.

High Speed Robotic Hand

There are more reports on scientists

Innovation is such a spontaneous thing. It was eureka moments from the past that spawned what we now take for granted, such as velcro or light bulbs or the wheel. It is time, however, that we consider our future and harness our innovation before we have another Manhattan Project. Science for the sake of science is good for science, but can be the end of humans. It is now time for us to do what is right for humans, and not science.

Read on.

“Robot Suit HAL” is a cyborg-type robot that can expand and improve physical capability.

When a person attempts to move, nerve signals are sent from the brain to the muscles via motoneuron, moving the musculoskeletal system as a consequence. At this moment, very weak biosignals can be detected on the surface of the skin. “HAL” catches these signals through a sensor attached on the skin of the wearer. Based on the signals obtained, the power unit is controlled to move the joint unitedly with the wearer’s muscle movement, enabling to support the wearer’s daily activities. This is what we call a ‘voluntary control system’ that provides movement interpreting the wearer’s intention from the biosignals in advance of the actual movement. Not only a ‘voluntary control system’ “HAL” has, but also a ‘robotic autonomous control system’ that provides human-like movement based on a robotic system which integrally work together with the ‘autonomous control system’. “HAL” is the world’s first cyborg-type robot controlled by this unique Hybrid System.

“HAL” is expected to be applied in various fields such as rehabilitation support and physical training support in medical field, ADL support for disabled people, heavy labour support at factories, and rescue support at disaster sites, as well as in the entertainment field.

The suit will be mass produced within the year. Cyberdyne Inc. will make approx. 500 to rent out and sell by the end of this year. It’ll be an estimated $40,000-$60,000 to rent. Sounds expensive to the everyday man, but seems cheap overall. Probably won’t be long till we see 5 Hal suits in the garage of a celebrity on MTV Cribs. Check it out in action.

Related article:

• Cyberdyne Corp. starts exporting its robotic exoskeleton HAL-5 (video) (crunchgear.com)

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology unveiled HRP-4C in Tsubuka City, Japan. The woman robot walks, talks, and follows basic commands. It also contorts its face to replicate natural human behavior.

The woman robot will sell for $200,000 dollars – a one time fee. That’s cheaper than a model’s weekly pay.

HRP 4C Video:

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HRP-4C Woman Robot unveiled in Japan

Their concern is that further advances could create profound social disruptions and even have dangerous consequences.

“As examples, the scientists pointed to a number of technologies as diverse as experimental medical systems that interact with patients to simulate empathy, and computer worms and viruses that defy extermination and could thus be said to have reached a “cockroach” stage of machine intelligence.”

Many scientists evoked The Singularity, a popular-held belief that the instant artificial intelligence gains even cockroach-level intelligence, their AI will grow exponentially and surpass us. We think in three dimensions, but machines working as a unit can ultimately think in 20 dimensions, doing calculations outside our realm of thinking.

My opinion on the subject matter is that AI is too much of a wild-card and shouldn’t be researched heavily. Cybernetics can directly help humans, but AI goes too far and doesn’t help enough except put us in potential danger.

“Despite his concerns, Dr. Horvitz said he was hopeful that artificial intelligence research would benefit humans, and perhaps even compensate for human failings. He recently demonstrated a voice-based system that he designed to ask patients about their symptoms and to respond with empathy. When a mother said her child was having diarrhea, the face on the screen said, “Oh no, sorry to hear that.”

Empathy and kind words, in my opinion, are not worth risking machines becoming autonomous and designing themselves into T-1000’s. My fear is scientists going through this just because they have the grant money – it looks like technology for technology sake and not for human sake.

Influential scientists met to discuss machines, AI outsmarting humans

Here is the NY Times article.

Related articles:

• A.I:. Salvation or Annihilation?
• The Ultimate Reboot
• Kurzweil in the Lyons’ Den

The animal can operate the robot with such dexterity that it can reach out to grab, and turn a handle. The mechanical arm has an arm, elbow, wrist and simple hand, which the monkey controls with the power of thought. Neurobiologist Dr Andy Schwartz said: “What we’re trying to do is go to a very dextrous hand – where the functionality is very similar to the human hand. If we could help stroke patients there would be a huge market for this kind of device.”

Sky News report

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