Designing Intelligence

This is a book about embodiment -- the idea that intelligence requires a body -- and how having a body shapes the way we think. The idea that the body is required for intelligence has been around since nearly three decades ago, but an awful lot has changed since then. Research labs and leading technology companies around the world have produced a host of sometimes science fiction-like creations: unbelievably realistic humanoids, robot musicians, wearable technology, robots controlled by biological brains, robots that can walk without a brain, real-life cyborgs, robots in homes for the elderly, robots that literally put themselves together, and artificial cells grown automatically. This new breed of technology is the direct result of the embodied approach to intelligence. Along the way, many of the initially vague ideas have been elaborated and the arguments sharpened, and are beginning to form into a coherent structure. This popular science book, aimed at a broad audience, provides a clear and up to date overview of the progress being made. At the heart of the book are a set of abstract design principles that can be applied in designing intelligent systems of any kind: in short, a theory of intelligence. But science and technology are no longer isolated fields: they closely interact with the corporate, political, and social aspects of our society -- so this book not only provides a novel perspective on artificial intelligence, but also aims to change how we view ourselves and the world around us.

Credits:
Front Cover Design by Hakam El Essawy

Featuring the humanoid robot ‘EDS’
Photo: Patrick Knab
Robot construction: The Robot Studio (TRS)
ECCE Robot project: EU's 7th Framework Programme, ICT Challenge2,
'Cognitive Systems and Robotics'
Motors: maxon motor, Switzerland
Know-How Partner: Starmind.com