'Smart' machine mimics human brain.

In the movie, "Star Wars," the robot R2-D2 demonstrates the ability to think on its own and provide solutions to problems based on the information the machine has learned. However, when we step out of the movies and into today's reality, a robot that can think and learn sounds a little farfetched, doesn't it? Maybe not.

As engineering moves to meet the high-tech challenges of the 21st century, experts have proposed that the technology of the future will be smarter," and there already are signs that this theory is true. One example is a study currently under way at the Center for Neural Engineering, Tennessee State University, Nashville. Researcher Geoffrey Yuen is working to produce a robot that can learn, at least in a very rudimentary sense of the word. He is attempting to teach his B-14 mobile robot a set of simple learning skills in hopes that the robot will be able to perform several tasks that are too dangerous for humans, such as disposing...