Robot the first step towards 'self-aware' machines envisaged by Isaac Asimov
The technology could be useful in production units where delicate touch and careful vision are needed
But deep learning pulls ahead for complex tasks
The intent is to build bots small enough to crawl through a garden hose
2,400 scientists sign pledge not to work on robo-soldiers
Health and education will benefit from the move to automation, but manufacturing will be hard-hit
2,400 signatures gathered against the development and production of lethal robots
That's several hours faster than the average human
Robot can assemble Ikea furniture in under 10 minutes - several hours less than the average human
MIT and Princeton-developed 'Robo picker' can tell the difference between tomatoes and potatoes