Barbara Webb
Barbara Webb first studied Psychology at the University of Sydney, graduating with a BSc Hons and University Medal in 1988. She obtained her PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh in 1993 and subsequently lectured in the Psychology departments at Edinburgh, the University of Nottingham, and the University of Stirling. She joined the School of Informatics as a Reader in 2003 and became Professor of Biorobotics in 2010.
Abstract
Considering animals to be ‘mere machines' has a long history. From a robotic perspective, biological systems are existence proofs of the kinds of machines we would like to build. I will argue that this constructive approach to biology is both scientifically powerful and increases our appreciation of the natural systems evolution has produced. I will also discuss some of the limitations and challenges faced by biorobotics.
This article was published on Feb 11, 2013