If you have ever tried your hand at lip-reading in a noisy environment, you'll know it isn't easy. Now, researchers have invented a machine that can tell the difference between sounds that look the same on the lips to give anyone the ability to decipher what's being said. It is hoped the new technology could help people with hearing and speech impairments communicate more easily and even help solve crimes. Researchers have invented a machine that can tell the difference between sounds that look the same on the lips to give anyone the ability to decipher what's being said. The visual speech recognition technology, can be applied'any place where the audio isn't good enough to determine what people are saying,' according to Helen Bear, who created the machine alongside Richard Harvey at the University of East Anglia (UEA).

If you have ever dreamed of becoming a graffiti artist like Banksy, a robotic spray could help you cheat your way to greatness. The prototype gadget attaches to a can of paint and helps a novice replicate a photograph on a large canvas or wall. The invention could spawn a graffiti revolution, but is more likely to be used to create digital characters for films, for example. A robotic spray can is able to help a novice replicate a photograph on a large canvas or wall. This image shows the'target' photograph, top inset, simulated image (bottom inset) and finished painting, main Scientists from the ETH Zurich, Disney Research Zurich, Dartmouth College and Columbia University came up with the smart spray can and have demoed its artistic abilities in an impressive video.

Gruesome videos of terror-driven killings have grown increasingly common over the years, and, cloaked by a scarf or a hood, the perpetrators can be difficult to identify. Researchers in Jordan have now developed a way to recognize terrorists using a small part of their hands, measuring the characteristics of their fingers when they make the commonly displayed'V' sign. The team trained an AI to identify different'V' signs, using sizes of the fingers and the different shapes and angles created by them to differentiate between people. Gruesome videos of terror-driven killings have grown increasingly common over the years, and, cloaked by a scarf or a hood, the perpetrators can be difficult to identify. Researchers in Jordan have now developed a way to recognize terrorists when they make the commonly displayed'V' sign Researchers say masked suspects could be identified using the shapes of their hands in the'V' sign.

For people who struggle to spell, due to conditions such as dyslexia, writing can seem like a daunting and frustrating task. Now neuroscientists have pinpointed the parts of the brain that control how we construct words. By studying stroke victims who have lost the ability to spell, they were able to link basic spelling difficulties with damage to seemingly unrelated regions of the brain for the first time. By studying stroke victims with spelling difficulties, neuroscientists were able to link basic spelling difficulties with damage to seemingly unrelated regions of the brain. The study, published in the journal Brain, could shed new light on how we use and remember words.

The ability of computers to recognise faces, text and objects has opened up a range of new technologies from smart CCTV to self-driving cars. But the machines still have some way to go before they will be able to rival human eyes. Researchers have shown that when it comes to spotting detail, we still have the edge that may prevent computers from taking over from us entirely. Scientists have found that despite great leaps in artificial intelligence and learning, computer vision is still no match for human eyes when it comes to recognising objects from a tiny part of an image. The pictures above are some of the examples used in the study - are you able to identify the objects in the images above?

The race to create robots that look, act and work like humans could see unemployment soar, welfare costs increase and may eventually bring the global economy to its knees. But it could also lead to the fourth industrial revolution. Experts, including scientists, economists and billionaire businessmen, believe robots will be doing more than 5 million typically human-based jobs within the next five years. And if this prediction comes true, inflation will continue to be slow as wages for the remaining human workforce plummet. Experts, including scientists, economists and billionaire businessmen, believe robots will be doing more than 5 million typically human-based jobs within the next five years.

Virtual learning programs could soon mark the end of test-taking. Researchers from Stanford University and Google in California have developed a new algorithm that aims to understand students' individual learning abilities. The system can even predict whether the students will get questions right or wrong in a given exercise, and as development progresses, it may be also able to identify why they've chosen that way. Virtual learning programs could soon mark the end of test-taking. Researchers from Stanford University and Google in California have developed a new algorithm that can understand students' individual learning abilities.

While there are fears robots may rise up to take over the world if artificial intelligence progresses too quickly, some of us may find ourselves simply marrying machines in the future. A leading computer scientist has predicted that as robots become more human-like, people may start turning to them for companionship. His predictions mirror the plot of the hit TV series Humans, where people formed emotional attachments to robots brought in to help out around the home. Robots could soon become intimate companions for humans and some people may even seek to marry them as they become more human-like. Unlike other technology, such as mobile phones and computers, robots will have the ability to interact with us in a far more realistic way.

Standing at a little over a foot tall and capable of recognising human emotions, personal robot Pepper is already proving a success in Japan. It hit the market this summer and within one minute, 1,000 units were ordered. And now, fans of the SoftBank robots have taken these humanoids to the next level by giving them a human touch with clothes an accessories that can be purchased online. Standing at a little over a foot tall and capable of recognising human emotions, personal robot Pepper is proving a success in Japan. Each piece of clothing and accessory is designed not to interfere with the robot's sensors, nor will they become tangled in hinges or joints.

An eerily life-like robot has been turning heads at the World Robot Exhibition in Beijing this week. Named Geminoid F, the robot has amassed a legion of fans, with some even describing her as'the world's sexiest robot'. The 5ft 6 inch android is capable of eye movements, response to eye-to-eye contact and can recognise body language. An eerily life-like robot has been turning heads at the World Robot Exhibition in Beijing this week. Named Android Geminoid F, the robot has a legion of fans, with some even describing her as'sexy' She is designed act like a human with rubber'skin' and a woman's face - but can't walk and has to be wheeled around.