World Wide Web for robots

Picture from RoboEarth website

Most robots are programmed to carry out one kind of task. But with an innovation called RoboEarth, when a robot "learns" something new, it can update the data to the cloud, where other robots can share it, add to it and learn from it.

RoboEarth website: http://roboearth.org/

The description of the innovation from RoboEarth's website: "At its core, RoboEarth is a World Wide Web for robots: a giant network and database repository where robots can share information and learn from each other about their behavior and their environment. Bringing a new meaning to the phrase 'experience is the best teacher', the goal of RoboEarth is to allow robotic systems to benefit from the experience of other robots, paving the way for rapid advances in machine cognition and behavior, and ultimately, for more subtle and sophisticated human-machine interaction."

A simple diagram of the interaction among robots and the RoboEarth cloud engine and the RoboEarth data base is also on the website:

There is an article on the BBC News website that is both interesting and useful for language work:
Robots test wtheir own world wide web, dubbed RoboEarth

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25727110

There are examples of different tenses, especially the future with "will." This is useful for illustrating both the uses of different tenses and the differences between tenses (for example, between the use of the simple past and of present perfect):

• information is being shown off ...
• Scientists ... will put it through its paces at ...
• Four robots will use the system to ...
• ...both robots and humans will be able to ...
• The system has been developed by ...
• ...robots are often developed ...
• ...are now being developed ...

There are also useful phrases for explanation and explaining possibility:

•  ...complete a series of tasks, including ...
• The eventual aim is that ...
• ...which would act as a kind of ...
• At its core RoboEarth is a ...
• ... so that ...
• The problem right now is that ...
• The aim of the system is to ...
• A task like ...
• ...will also mean that ...
• ..., meaning that ...
• ...are likely to be available ...
• It is already possible to ...
• ... RoboEarth adds security by ...
• The consequences of ...

In addition to the article, there is a link to a BBC video (3:33) with a journalist presenting news about the innovation and with examples of a robot using the capability in a hospital setting.

Link to video: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25926292

The journalist in the video thinks the robots don't look "friendly." What do your students think? To what extent does it matter what the robots look like? What kind of "look" would students choose? They could draw or discuss their ideas and compare.

Other questions focus on the article. What do students think of the quote by James Barrat, who says, "In the longer term, watch out when any of the nodes can evolve or otherwise improve their own software. The consequences of sharing that capability with the central 'mind' should be explored before it happens."

What measures do students think could be taken now to forestall problems in the future?