A humanoid robot described as the most advanced in the world will be showcased in Scotland. The National Robotarium, the UK's centre for robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) based at Heriot-Watt University in partnership with The University of Edinburgh, has purchased the robot, named Ameca, from Engineered Arts. Ameca is described as able'to interact with people in a natural and engaging way', and facial expressions include'playful' and'pondering'. The acquisition is a bid to'demystify complex technologies and foster a greater understanding of the potential benefits of robotics', and AI. The robot has embedded microphones, cameras, facial recognition software and articulated motorised components.

AI robots could soon be taking some of the burden off exhausted nurses by dealing with patients' questions and performing simple tasks. Following a successful hospital trial, it was found that the androids were able to'smoothly' answer queries relating to the length of time until the doctor would be free and other subjects. The machines were also able to engage in'general chit-chat' with patients - as well as offering quizzes, riddles and even calming breathing exercises. Crucially, they were found to be able to keep up with conversations involving several nurses and patients simultaneously. The UK's National Robortarium - based at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh - played a pivotal role in the 7m EU-funded'Socially Assistive Robots in Gerontological healthcare' project.

Claire talked to Dr Paul Dominick Baniqued from The University of Manchester all about brain-computer interface technology and rehabilitation robotics. Paul Dominick Baniqued received his PhD in robotics and immersive technologies at the University of Leeds. His research tackled the integration of a brain-computer interface with virtual reality and hand exoskeletons for motor rehabilitation and skills learning. He is currently working as a postdoc researcher on cyber-physical systems and digital twins at the Robotics for Extreme Environments Group at the University of Manchester. Sean Katagiri is a robotics engineer who has the pleasure of being surrounded by and working with robots for a living.

The head of the UK's largest and most advanced robotics centre has said that society needs to prepare for the increased integration of robots but shouldn't fear the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Stewart Miller, the chief executive of the National Robotarium, which opens today in Edinburgh, told Sky News that "Inevitably there will be more robots in everybody's life. They'll be helping you at home, when you go out shopping, when you go to a hotel, they'll be involved in hospitality, when you go to a theatre, everything. Internationally, some scientists have expressed concerns over rapid progress in the field of artificial intelligence. A new survey of researchers from the New York University Centre for Data Science found that more than a third (36%) of respondents that had published recent papers in the field thought that AI could produce catastrophic outcomes in this century, "on the level of all-out nuclear war". Mr Miller said that "the thing to remembers is that we, the humans, are in control.

The head of the UK's largest and most advanced robotics centre has said that society needs to prepare for the increased integration of robots but shouldn't fear the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Stewart Miller, the chief executive of the National Robotarium, which opens today in Edinburgh, told Sky News that "Inevitably there will be more robots in everybody's life. They'll be helping you at home, when you go out shopping, when you go to a hotel, they'll be involved in hospitality, when you go to a theatre, everything. Internationally, some scientists have expressed concerns over rapid progress in the field of artificial intelligence. A new survey of researchers from the New York University Centre for Data Science found that more than a third (36%) of respondents that had published recent papers in the field thought that AI could produce catastrophic outcomes in this century, "on the level of all-out nuclear war". Mr Miller said that "the thing to remembers is that we, the humans, are in control.

The National Robotarium, hosted by Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, has unveiled an AI-powered telepresence robotic solution for remote health consultations. Using the solution, health practitioners would be able to assess a person's physical and cognitive health from anywhere in the world. Patients could access specialists no matter whether they're based in the UK, India, the US, or anywhere else. "It was fascinating to visit the National Robotarium and see first-hand how virtual teleportation technology could revolutionise healthcare and assisted living. Backed by £21 million UK Government City Region Deal funding, this cutting-edge research centre is a world leader for robotics and AI, bringing jobs and investment to the area."

An artificial intelligence (AI) companion for people with dementia is being developed in research involving the University of Strathclyde. The technology will aid memory recollection, boost confidence and combat depression in people living with Alzheimer's Disease and other types of dementia. Memory loss in people with Alzheimer's Disease occurs in reverse chronological order, with pockets of long-term memory remaining accessible even as the disease progresses. While most current rehabilitative care methods focus on physical aids and repetitive reminding techniques, the new project, named AMPER (Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing) will take an AI-driven, user-centred approach and will focus on personalised storytelling to help bring a patient's memories back to the surface. The research team is led at Heriot-Watt University and the National Robotarium, a partnership between Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh.

Researchers at the National Robotarium, hosted by Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh, are developing an artificial intelligence (AI) companion that will aid memory recollection, boost confidence and combat depression in people living with Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. The idea for the ground-breaking'Agent-based Memory Prosthesis to Encourage Reminiscing' (AMPER) project originated from Dr. Mei Yii Lim, a co-investigator of the project and an experienced memory modelling researcher. Memory loss in people with Alzheimer's disease occurs in reverse chronological order, with pockets of long-term memory remaining accessible even as the disease progresses. While most current rehabilitative care methods focus on physical aids and repetitive reminding techniques, AMPER's AI-driven user-centred approach will focus on personalised storytelling to help bring a patient's memories back to the surface. Dr. Lim explains "AMPER will explore the potential for AI to help access an individual's personal memories residing in the still viable regions of the brain by creating natural, relatable stories. These will be tailored to their unique life experiences, age, social context and changing needs to encourage reminiscing."

A smart cyborg is working in secret technological base. It's a question that many of us will have posed at some point when we are online interacting with a web interface chatbot with its chirpy'Hi! Can I help?' message flags and discussion box. Some of us deliberately try and second guess these bots in order to be able to work out whether we are talking to a machine or a person. We do this because we somehow hope that this knowledge will enable us to assess more accurately how much help we are likely to get - and so, perhaps, get an idea of how much effort we should put into explaining our customer issues or requests. Right now, it is not necessarily that difficult to know if you are speaking to an Artificial Intelligence (AI) engine.

A smart cyborg is working in secret technological base. It's a question that many of us will have posed at some point when we are online interacting with a web interface chatbot with its chirpy'Hi! Can I help?' message flags and discussion box. Some of us deliberately try and second guess these bots in order to be able to work out whether we are talking to a machine or a person. We do this because we somehow hope that this knowledge will enable us to assess more accurately how much help we are likely to get - and so, perhaps, get an idea of how much effort we should put into explaining our customer issues or requests. Right now, it is not necessarily that difficult to know if you are speaking to an Artificial Intelligence (AI) engine.