Google Robot Teaches Itself to Walk

A research team working at Google's Robotics division and the Georgia Institute of Technology has figured out how to let four-legged robots learn to walk without needing any help from humans. As MIT Technology Review reports, the researchers implemented a deep reinforcement learning framework, which combines a multi-tasking learning procedure, an automatic reset controller, and a framework that's safety-constrained. A robot can train using the framework for 80 minutes at a time to gain experience without human interaction. It learns multiple directions of travel at the same time, allowing it to use a restricted training space effectively (and without ever getting stuck at the edges). At first the robot learns forward and backward motion on a flat surface, then on a soft mattress, and finally on a doormat with crevices. It's also then possible to autonomously teach the ability to turn left and right across the three different surface types.