A Robot Beats Humans at Their Own Game---This Time on the Ice

Humans are good at figuring out the intricate physics of object-ice interactions that affect how giant stones slide across a frozen surface. Machines, however, can freeze up in the real world. Curly, a new curling-playing robot, has a better handle on those complexities, thanks to an artificially intelligent brain that can quickly assess and map the icy environment, the state of play and optimal strategies for winning, according to a paper published Wednesday in the journal Science Robotics by a team of roboticists at Korea University in Seoul. The white, turtle-shaped robot, recently beat out elite curling South Korean players in a series of four matches, losing only once, according to the study. Curly's triumph is the latest example of machines besting humans at their own games--but it marks an important step forward: Other big wins for the robots have been in digital environments, where the physics of the real world didn't get in the way.