We like autonomous robots because they can do the things we can't or don't want to do. Justin Werfel, a researcher at Harvard University, calls it the "Three Ds—dirty, dangerous, and dull." And, these intelligent bots can get work done in places we aren't able to go—like other planets.
Werfel is part of a team of Harvard engineers designing an autonomous robot construction crew that can build structures without any human intervention or supervision. The latest research, published today in Science magazine, shows off the artificially intelligent bots building towers, pyramids, and staircases. It's the first step to putting robot swarms to work in hard-to-reach places like disaster zones, under the sea, or in outer space.
"We envision sending robots off to do their task and sending astronauts along only after a shelter is completed," study author Kirstin Petersen told me.