With the advancement of artificial intelligence in recent years, robots are literally everywhere. From robot vacuum at home to robot which produces microchip with precision up to nanometer, different types of robots are working for us in different aspects of our lives. However, no matter how different these robots are, there is one thing in common: they are made for performing just a number of tasks. The author of this book envisions the future robot to be a generalist like human. He proposes the way to achieve this is to “grow” a robot.

 

This book is composed of 3 parts. The first part gives you an overview of the current development of robotics and AI while suggesting some limitations of the technology. In the second part, the author presents his idea of “how to grow a robot”. Rather than building a robot for a specific task, he proposes a new approach to grow a robot by equipping it with the ability to learn like an infant. He tries to model child development and implement some of these mechanisms in robots. The ultimate goal is to design a robot which is more human-like, friendly and engaging. The third part outlines the implication of the future robots. The author analyzes documented predictions of over 200 experts in order to reveal a more balanced view of the future development.

 

This book is recommended to all those who are interested in the latest development of robotics and fantasized about owning a Doraemon-like robot in the future. No prior knowledge in computer science is required for you to enjoy this book. Although the vision of creating a developmental robot which could learn like an infant seems like a dream, it is the ones who dare to dream make dreams come true.