Intelligence

What do Furbys, mechanical insects and robots with emotions all have in common? All of them are key components of THE PLAYFUL WORLD. In this section you'll learn all about the history of the incredibly popular Furby - which has saved lives, taught children to speak, and can be autopsied for your amusement.

From there we'll travel into some deep artificial intelligence, from one of the greatest minds in the field, Dr. Rodney Brooks of MIT's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. His work has revolutionized the field - and it's easy to understand, even for a beginner.

We finish up with a look at some of the new toys coming to market - digital "pets" like Sony's AIBO, and realistic dolls such as Mattel's Miracle Moves Baby. Altogether it means that the latest developments in artificial intelligence are becoming an important part of the toys we give our children.

On the left side of the page, you'll see links - paralleling the ideas as they're discussed in the text. When you click on a link, you'll see information about that link on this side of the page, along with a link to another website, which will open in its own window. All you need to do is click on the link, and you'll be looking at whatever article or document crossed my path as I wrote the book.

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