Robot 101: Learning how to communicate and interact with humans

The possibility of robot overlords? Fortunately, we don’t have to worry about that for a while. For now, scientists and engineers are focused on improving basic human-robot interaction to perform simple tasks and better understand and support humans. For Tom Williams, assistant professor of computer science at Colorado School of Mines, that means developing a robot’s working memory to improve robotic communication skills. Williams explains the process of teaching robots to think and act like humans and the technical, social and moral challenges scientists must contend with when doing so. To learn more about robotics at Mines, visit robotics.mines.edu.