Rise of the Thinking Machines: The Science of Robots (Headline Science)

From R2-D2 and C-3PO to the Terminator, robots have added an exciting edge to movies for decades. But what about robots that are used in real life? Robots are programmed to perform tasks that are either too difficult or too dangerous for humans to do. They can also repeat an action hundreds of times exactly the same way each time. These robots have been extremely useful in manufacturing plants, automotive industries, and even our own homes. The future of robotics, however, lies with autonomous robots—robots that can act independently. This rise of artificial intelligence leads to an unlimited number of possibilities in robotics.