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Weebots: Driveable Robots For Babies Who Need Them

Posted by timothy on from the so-many-good-ways-to-get-in-trouble dept.

toygeek writes "Babies, as you may have noticed if you own one, like to get into all sorts of mischief, and studies show that exploring and interacting with the world is important for cognitive development. Babies who can't move around as well may not develop at the same rate as babies who can, which is why researchers from Ithaca College in New York are working on a way to fuse babies with robots to give mobility to all babies, even those with conditions that may delay independent mobility, like Down syndrome, spina bifida, or cerebral palsy."

1 of 72 comments (clear)

  1. Re:They missed the most important thing by Havenwar · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Well, I can't say I find it very cool. But then I suppose it could be, if you put curtains, pets, other humans, soft furniture like pillows in a room... and then hid heavy objects in/behind a few of these. Yeah, that would amuse me.

    Especially with one of these robot babies, given the increased mobility of some sort of motorized transport, and the decreased mental function of some sort of retardation. Watching one of those little tykes on wheels bang repeatedly head first into a metal anvil hidden inside a pillow because it just can't figure out why this pillow is different from the other pillows...

    Man, I wouldn't even bother coming to slashdot to laugh at the people who actually read the article any more, I'd be so entertained.

    And that.... is why I am not allowed around children.