They walk, they talk, and soon, they will think. Robots are marching on, and they are spreading in every part of our lives. In Japan, robots sweat on the bench, trying to mimic all of our gestures, others defeat even seasoned athletes on the basket court, but in Italy, humanoid robots are made for more than sport; they can rescue humans. And sometimes, the worth of a robot is not in its metal envelope, but in its brain’s circuits.

Artificial intelligences are blooming all over the world. British AI have diagnosed heart diseases, Spanish AI have learned to spot weapons on CCTV, and Saudi AI teach Arabic. Robotics invade our lives, up to a point where the frontier between man and machine becomes unclear. In Switzerland, scientists develop a robotic hand controlled by brainwaves, as in Poland, robots help blind people to see.

Even animals begin to have their robotic counterparts. German cockroach robots scurry in the labs, Dutch falcon-bot soar and in Fiji, bionic fishes spy on the coral reefs.

The Global Science Series provides an overview of recent scientific breakthroughs, portraying scientists, explorers and pioneers who are involved in cutting-edge research.

Also available in French: Robotique et I.A. - le futur de l'humanité