Researchers at the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology are training a pair of robots, named the Lingodroids, to communicate like humans.
Lingodroids
The robots comprise a portable platform built with sonar, a laser range finder and a camera to provide mapping capabilities and avoiding obstacles. The robots also enable effective communication using speakers and a microphone.
If a robot finds itself in a new place, it will say a word to illustrate it by randomly selecting from a group of syllables. It then conveys that word to the other robots, thereby giving the place a new name.
The robots can develop their language skills by playing such word games with one another. After playing many such games, the robots came to a consensus on distances within 0.375m and directions within 10°. They use their invented language to generate spatial maps even for regions that they were not able to study. Researchers are hoping that the lingodroids will learn to speak about more detailed topics such as describing how to reach a particular place on the map or its accessibility. It is believed that such technologies may enable effective communication between robots, and explore innovative ways for robots to converse with humans.